To Be... Or To Have...

Some of my childhood memories are so vivid, while others feel buried deep in the trenches, hard to dig up. They say bad experiences leave the biggest marks, but I don’t think that’s entirely true.

I don’t remember my first two years of life, but I do remember when my sister was born. I was three, and at the time, I didn’t fully grasp what having a sibling meant—but I can’t say it was bad. One of my most vivid childhood memories is from when I was six, just about to start school.

It must’ve been late August. I was sitting in front of the house, staring into the distance, thinking about how my life would never be the same. I knew I was about to embark on a 12-year journey that I already didn’t like, and that was the first time I truly felt the passage of time.

I know, I know… Kamala Harris made that “passage of time” line sound foolish—because, duh, we all know time passes—but actually realizing it, feeling both time and the timeless, was a mind-blowing experience for me. Sitting on the grass, looking at my shoes, and realizing that the life I had known up to that point was about to change forever—that moment felt timeless.

We rarely identify ourselves by who we are. More often than not, we define ourselves by what we have. So many of our interactions with others are shaped by our possessions, our status. But in reality, none of it lasts. No one ever took anything with them to the grave.

It’s easier said than done, but I bet if we lived more grounded in who we are, rather than what we own, we’d be much more content with ourselves—and at peace with each other.

Anyway, that’s about it from my side. Hope you all have a great day. Catch you next time.

Thanks for your attention,
Adrian