There are moments in life when you just sit back and reflect, not on what is happening right now, but on the long journey that has brought you here. The people you’ve met, the choices you’ve made, and the struggles and victories that shaped your path. Sometimes, it feels like you’re looking at two different versions of yourself, the one who started the journey and the one living it now. Growth has a way of changing us silently, until one day you look in the mirror and realize you are not who you used to be.
When I look back fifteen to twenty years ago, when I consider everything that's happened to me and the big decisions I've made, I can tell you for a fact that the same me of twenty years ago is very different from the current me. The reason I said so is because, twenty years ago, there were some decisions I was so scared of making because I didn't want to look bad in front of people, and I always wanted them to see me as who they wanted me to be, but right now, growing up into adulthood, I have discovered that nobody really cares. What they want to see is the good result of what you have; no one really cares how you are living or what you are doing. In as much as there is a good result and you can stand shoulder to shoulder with people they respect or see above them, then they would respect you too.
If my past self from years ago saw me now, would I be able to recognize myself?
I ask myself this question many times. Was there something I could have done better when growing up that would have changed my life? One thing I feel is that the me of the past would be surprised by the success I have now and might not recognize me. Twenty years ago, my family was faced with a dangerous financial crisis, where my siblings and I had to drop out of school, and it felt like we would amount to nothing. It was a crazy experience, and I am glad I got to experience it because it was what shaped my mentality and made me who I am today. The me of the past won't recognize me, but trust me, I would recognize the me of the past; all I have to do is go to the group of people who doubt themselves so much, and I would find the me of the past.
Things began to change for me, thanks to the parent I had who never gave up on their kids. They have sacrificed so much for us; the real change for me began when I got into the university. A child who has always been under the cover and protection of his parent is now left to make choices and decisions on his own. It was then I knew that any further mistake would not be tolerated again, not by my parent but by LIFE!
Looking back now, I realize that growth is not something you notice in the moment, it’s something you only see when you pause and trace your steps. Life has its own way of reshaping us through hardship, responsibility, and the lessons hidden in every decision. The truth is, we are never really the same person we were years ago; change is constant, and it is the proof that we are alive. If my past self could see me now, he might be shocked, but I know deep down he would also be proud, because every sacrifice, every stumble, and every rise has made me who I am today.
Thanks for reading. My name is Fashtioluwa.
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