Do you like your story?

No, I’m not a fan of mine.

Everyone loves a good story but not everyone likes theirs. I don’t like mine frankly. Do you? Some pages are marked with blood; pieces of me that I was hesitant to share. Lines that I have tried to cross out instead stand and taunt me. Some pages are on the edge because I keep going back to them; for clarity, for hope, for happiness. We all have unwanted pages. Don’t you?

A brother passed.

A bullet was fired.

A friend betrayed.

A mother left.

A steering wheel jerked.

A car lost control.

A girl didn’t believe enough.

I have a few empty pages left. I am the architect now. Choosing my characters, the emotions I can share, the stories I can tell, and how vulnerable I can get. Tinted in blue are my favourite stories. About the times I laughed so hard I started to cry, the feeling of working so hard and watching everything align, the moments I shared parts of me only my mirror had ever seen.

I look forward to crafting my beautiful story. I look forward to choosing my characters and their distinctive roles. I look forward to shedding my thick skin, on my terms, and at my pace. I look forward to experiencing life.