Hey hey you yes you do you remember?
Do you remember the time you almost quit? When everyone else was flourishing while you were in the autumn of your heart and that was it for you? Do you remember that?
Do you remember the texts of congratulations that you sent? And how Facebook and iPhones learned to add confetti and fireworks and hearts in an effort to mask your insincerity? Do you remember wanting to see someone else’s mask instead? Wanting to feed off the jealousy of others for once because your own teats were dry? Do you?
Do you remember feeling like the best supporting actor in someone else’s movie?
Hey. Hey! You. Yes, you. Do you remember?
Do you remember when they didn’t care back when you cared so much? When everything crumbled around you and they sighed and swiped and shared a meme? Do you remember feeling profoundly alone?
Yes. You. Do you?
…..
In a relay race in 1995 a girl was told to look straight ahead. A girl was told to look neither left nor right. She was told to run. To just run. Run straight. Run fast. To take her heart and point it forward. Point it to its own destination on its own journey.
Do you remember working hard? Do you remember being nice?
Do you remember to trust? To breathe?
To accept that sometimes… you’ll just be jealous?
The girl won her race. And she remembers.
And now you will, too.
