Who have I been, and who am I becoming?’
Post graduation reflections
It was like skin, smooth to the touch, porous, and cracked. Imperfect it was. But this was no skin. It was but a part of a hard volcanic cliff off a thunderous coast of an island. I feel the ridges around an opening the size of my hand. The mouth is cool and hungry for filling. The bass of the pounding waves echo around me and reverberates through my fingertips. I am privileged and given my own haven, my very own private beach. Nature sure does know how to give hospitality. But it’s not the beach that I want.
The heaving sea surges and slaps my heels then sighs in defeat at its exhausted attempts to get my gratitude. I pay no mind to the petulant sea behind me. I focus on the rocks, those gorgeous rocks. “I appreciate your beach,” I holler to the sea behind me, “but these rocks. What is to become of these rocks?” As I turn to holler, I catch notice of sharper rocks.
To my left, large carved rocks jut out like hulls of pirate ships. This, I see, is the result of the constant proceeding and receding waves. Water is a carpenter with a chisel in hand, slicing away impurities and accidentally chipping away good parts that come with it.
I have lost friends, and I have lost battles to become the flawed but grateful human I am today. I have revealed the good side of me to some and the bad side of me to others. Who have I been, and who am I becoming?
Ly Son Island, Vietnam