Never say never to always

My second grade teacher shared with us this photo, explaining she was a refugee from Afghanistan. All I remember thinking is that place sounds like my blanket.

Isn't it strange how we remember the most insignificant events for no reason at all? Is it just random neurons misfiring in the brain? Could be. But I like to hope there's a purpose behind the irrelevant.

It's just a flash from the past. It holds no weight in my current life. I took away only select memories of my year in the second grade and I rarely revert back to them. So why was this kept and not discarded after years of being dormant? Why now? This image pulled me back to a place in time the way a song fools you to think you're still living an old life.

So much has changed since I was a little kid. Days have gotten shorter and my town has gotten smaller....... Also mushrooms and carrots have gotten tastier. SNL has gotten worse but Led Zeppelin reunited! Pants are still stuck in the 80's though and the Cyrus family is still making music that no one cares about.

I have 6 months left until I am no longer a teenager. But by my standard, I will be turning twenteen. I still have a lot of looking forward to do before I have more looking behind. I think the worst part about growing is realizing you are not unique. It's when these bats of perception come summoned to me that I just want to relive one day of my childhood. Anyday. Anyplace. I don't know much but I like to think know just enough. Just enough to see the importance of always keeping that kid inside alive.


Always.


So go ahead. Wear you pj's inside out and backwards to bed in hopes of too much snow to for anything the next day. Eat your frosty before your fries. Play padiddle the way it was meant to be played. Put up those whitty away messages on AIM about your day's events. And love, LOVE Blink 182 shamelessly. What is that they sing? Oh yes, "I never want to act my age again."




Since I passed second grade I've learned the story of Sharbat Gula. Two wars and three children later, she has the same eyes but different lives. I purposely strayed from an easily tangible political message provoked by this image. I don't want to remind how we are different when we are all human. And as humans worlds away the same thing that has been there to take care of her is here for me.


Time.