Change and transitions are sometimes the strongest fuel for nightmares, anxiety, fear and doubt. ‘Limbo’ periods can be as liberating as they are debilitating.
Last week, I completed my final semester of tertiary education. This meant the end of my student era and, with it, my youth. Ahead of me lies uncertainty above all else, with nothing on my mind but the rising rent prices and shaky job markets.
More immediately, right after submitting my final assignment, I felt a wave of nostalgia hit me. I thought about the 7 years I had spent studying this course, and how my diploma course felt like a lifetime ago. The time spent pursuing my degree pre-COVID also felt like decades past.
I took some time to look through my photos from my diploma and degree as I pieced together a LinkedIn page for job applications. It took me three times longer than it should have after accounting for the time spent reminiscing.
Who is that person behind me? Yes, I heard she got into good company. Ah, I remember this face. I wonder if he’s still the class clown. Didn’t they get married? I never saw that coming.
But I was mostly occupied with cringing at myself. The many phases of ‘Kim’ captured in these photos did not age well. Why are my shorts so short? This caption is so obnoxious. Who did I think I was? What happened?
What happened to me? I was so much happier, but I was also very lost. What exactly has changed since then and what has stayed exactly the same?
A big change I suppose is worth noting is how much I have grown into myself. I grew from what I went through. I have gained and lost loved ones, learned and unlearned crucial lessons, and figured out a bit more about myself and my life purpose.
Yes, I guess that is something to accredit to this era.
For more targeted practices, self-help resources, and peer support, check out SG Support Group on Discord.
🤍,
Kim
