On many days like today, there’s a cloud of thoughts, filled with questions which always keeps me grounded. Finding their way to my mind and allowing me to take a step back and really reflect. “What would’ve my life been like if I still lived in Afghanistan? What if Dad didn’t take his precarious journey here? Would I have been the same person I am today?” I have always considered myself fortunate. My journey to the UK wasn’t a challenging one, not that I remember from the age of 4. As my Dad had already taken the challenge on his shoulders to bring his family in a country, far away from home. Sometimes I really do think our parents are superheroes. Maybe they are? For this reason, I always looked up to my parents and tried hard to study. Although my actual dream was never related to studying, I still made sure I studied. I don’t know if this is something running through the Afghan blood, but I set myself really high expectations. Higher than what I could reach (I mean I was considerably tall for my age but I don’t think that helped). So, high expectations really made me fall, tiptoeing and stretching didn’t work. And I fell. To me it was failure even though others wouldn’t look at it that way, but to me it was. You see education is a privilege to me and I embraced it wholeheartedly. I still do. However, it was also something that made me drown in the ocean of my own ignorance; I didn’t need to reach the optimum straight away. But education really does what it means, it really did teach me a lot. I drowned a couple of times but it didn’t take my breath completely, instead it saved me and taught me how to swim (practically I can’t swim, just saying). To me that failure I saw then, now feels more like a wake up call after a really deep sleep. Dreaming is beautiful and definitely not to be discouraged. People should dream more but still be present with their reality. Now I know that I should’ve taken only one stroke at a time to reach the finishing line. All of this took me to a diverted route and showed me the million doors to possibilities. I tried and failed but I study Law now. It may not be in the best of universities in the world but I still have the opportunity to study. I have control of my own life and future. Most importantly I am blessed and grateful for my knock-downs, because now I feel I have more purpose to live. Throughout this journey, I now know what I love the most; writing, God and myself. Without any of this I wouldn’t have made it this far. The future seems oblique but I know I want; to always push forward, stay grateful and be intact with all the things I love most. Short story competition
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