Who Are You?
A story that will shift your perspective
A sad boy in his late 20s sits by the large window of a cozy coffee shop. He sinks deeper and deeper into the seat, trying to hide in his black hoodie.
A cheerful waitress approaches. Her mood strikes a contrast to the dark melancholy that surrounds this boy’s aura.
“Hey there! Welcome to our new Cozy Corner. What can I get you?”
He looks up but not to her eyes, covering his head with the black hoodie.
“Latte.”
“Mhm, and is normal milk good for you?”
The boy shakes his head yes. The waitress writes down on her digital notepad.
“Great, thank you! I’ll be back with your order.”
The waitress turns around to leave, fighting the natural urge we all have to help people but trying to ignore it so we can protect ourselves from their “unnecessary” drama.
But she quickly gives in and goes back to the boy’s table.
“I can’t help but ask… Are you okay? Do you need something?”
“Hmm? No. I -uh, no…”
The boy’s voice cracks as he holds back his tears.
“I’m sorry. I-uh just broke up with my girlfriend. Just a second ago.”
The boy can’t help the tears falling but wipes quickly on his sleeves.
The waitress glances at him, her eyes reflecting a deep empathy.
“I’m so sorry to hear that. Have you guys been together for long?”
“Eight years.”
The waitress is at a loss for words. The boy continues, trying his best to stay strong.
“I wanted kids. She didn’t. I mean, she didn’t know yet. She wasn’t feeling ready, I guess. I would’ve proposed today if she… Yeah.”
She looks at the depressed boy, utterly confused.
“I see. I’ll be back with your order, okay?”
The boy nods his head, blowing his nose quietly on a piece of tissue and staring outside the window.
Rain falls onto the street heavily, enhancing the boy’s melancholy further.
The waitress brings him a latte and sits in the chair opposite him.
“You know, there’s one question that makes me think about life in a completely different way.”
Surprised, he looks at her for the first time.
“What’s that?”
“Who are you?”
The boy looks confused, furrowing his brows.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
The waitress insists.
“Who are you?”
“Are you really expecting an answer?”
She nods yes, staring deep into his eyes, waiting for the answer.
“I’m Noah.”
The waitress laughed as she was expecting this answer.
“Who are you beyond being Noah?”
“I don’t have time for this.”
The waitress furrows her brows, sounding ruder than she means.
“What better things do you have? I mean, other than sitting here crying all day?”
The boy stands up furiously to leave. The girl stands up and raises her hand to stop him kindly.
“Look, I’m going somewhere with this. Trust me.”
They settle down and sit back.
“Who are you beyond your parents naming you Noah?”
The boy thinks for a moment.
“I am a software engineer.”
“Okay, who are you beyond your career label?”
The boy looks annoyed at the waitress.
“Is this a game?”
“Look, I don’t have much time. I took a ten-minute break just to help you. Let’s get to it. Who are you?”
The boy thinks before answering.
“I’m a son. Uh, a brother. A boyfriend. An ex-boyfriend now, I guess. I’ll be a student again soon, getting my master’s degree, you know.”
The girl insists.
“Beyond all those labels, who are you?”
“I’m a… kind, loyal, loving man. I’m smart. I love animals.”
The girl continues to stare at him overwhelmingly.
“Beyond being a kind, loyal, loving, smart man… Beyond all those adjectives you’re throwing at me… WHO ARE YOU?”
The boy immediately answers this time.
“I’m a human. I’m a human being, is that it?”
“Beyond being a human.”
The boy scratches his head, controlling his frustration.
“Look, this is getting really annoying. I do have better things to do despite what you think, okay?”
“To understand yourself better, you must first figure out who you are— at the core. Let’s do an exercise.”
The boy moves uncomfortably in his seat, and the waitress closes her eyes.
“Close your eyes with me and take deep breaths. Come on, do it.”
The boy and the girl both take deep breaths together. The boy opens his eyes to peek.
“Are we going to just meditate here?”
“Shh, focus.”
The boy closes his eyes grumpily as the girl guides the meditation.
“Become aware of your body. But really aware. Start scanning your feet, legs, hips… belly, back, chest… arms… neck, and head. Become aware of the areas that are tense, and the areas that are relaxed.”
After a beat, she continues the guidance.
“Now, become aware of your feelings. Do you feel sad? Annoyed. Uncomfortable. Pissed. Anxious.”
The boy can’t help but reply.
“I feel all those things.”
“Just be aware of them and notice where emotions come up. Which part of your body do you feel the most tension when you are sad?”
The boy furrows his brows, feeling the tension in his stomach.
“Where do you feel the most tension or discomfort when you focus on your anxiety?”
The boy’s chest tightens, and the girl reminds her of something important during this exercise.
“Remember to breathe.”
He deeply inhales and exhales. After a moment, the girl opens her eyes.
“And what’s going on in your mind? What are the thoughts that come up as you sit here, eyes closed with me? Are you in the present moment, or are you in the past? What are you thinking?”
She peeks at the boy.
“Are you with me here at the new Cozy Corner, or are you back at home dealing with something else? Or is your mind playing the same scene from your past over and over again?”
The boy moves in his seat. The girl lifts her chin up, ready for the next step.
“Open your eyes now.”
The boy opens his eyes as the girl stares deeply at him.
“Welcome back. Now, who are you?”
The boy feels his body, mind, and presence for the first time with a sharp sense of focus.
“I am… this being who can feel, experience, and understand… and analyze and label things.”
“Can we say that you’re a consciousness experiencing this human life?”
The boy looks at her; hearing this for the first time is intense.
“We can say that. I guess.”
“Do you think a person is their feelings or their thoughts?”
“No, I think we are more than that.”
The girl looks proud but catches her manager’s angry glances. Time is up.
“Alright, I wanted to do this with you as you mentioned ending your relationship because your girlfriend wasn’t sure if she wanted kids, right?”
The boy looks at her, wondering where she’s going with this.
“Yes.”
“And you want to be a father, I assume.”
“Yes.”
The waitress stares at him, making sure she has his attention.
“Is it the title of being a father that’s appealing to you?”
“I — I don’t know. It’s just. It’s time, you know.”
The girl raises her eyebrows.
“It’s time to become a father?”
The boy sits upright to explain himself.
“You know, I’m 28 now. I have to start a family. It’s getting late.”
“According to who?”
The boy is quick to jump right in.
“According to biology. According to my family. According to time. According to absolutely everything.”
“So, it’s the societal expectations that make you want to have kids and want to be a father? And not to mention, it makes you think you’re late.”
“I mean, I want kids too. I want to have my own family one day. That’s my dream.”
The waitress looks at him intensely.
“Did you love this girl? I mean, you’ve been with her for seven years, right?”
“Eight. And of course. I loved her to death. I still do! I can’t imagine being without her.”
“Can we say that she’s become your family?”
The boy looks utterly confused but thinks for a bit.
“She was my family. She was going to be my family. I picked out the ring and everything!”
“But she didn’t know if she wanted kids. And based on the societal and parental and all kinds of expectations planted in your subconscious mind throughout the years, you have to have kids no matter what. And you are “late,” as you say, so now you plan to go look for a new suitable woman to have kids with, build a new life, and miss out on waking up every day next to the love of your life.”
The boy just stares at her for a beat before he speaks.
“Well, yeah… Okay, I get it. But I’m confused. What did this question and the whole meditation have to do with all this?”
“It was to open your eyes to the reality of your being. You don’t “have to” do anything in the name of fitting into some norm, or expectation, or pleasing others. You are a consciousness experiencing this human life, and shall I say, your being here is as miraculous as all of us. You have dreams. You mentioned the master’s degree. Congratulations, by the way. But you need to open your eyes to YOU.”
The boy looks at her like she’s this Goddess who has all the answers.
“How do I do that? I do want kids someday; I don’t know if I can say no to kids altogether.”
“But you can throw away your eight years of partnership? Look, I’m just saying, UNLESS your being’s dream or “end goal” is to become a father and have kids, there’s no point in throwing away the love of your life who‘s essentially your family.”
The boy looks around with curiosity, questioning everything in his life.
“Wow, well, I don’t know if becoming a father is the ultimate goal.”
“Family. That’s what you said you want, right? Who says a family means you have to have kids? There are a lot of happy families who don’t have kids. And again, I’m just opening your eyes to other possibilities. Only you can decide what your being really wants. And to do that, you have to do a lot of this meditation we just did.”
The waitress prepares to leave, taking the boy’s empty coffee cup, but the boy stops her.
“So, I broke things off with the one person I deeply care about just because I consider what other people think and want… more than I consider my own happiness and fulfillment.”
The waitress stands up with the empty coffee cup.
“Well, today is a new day filled with brand new choices. The question is, are you caffeinated enough, or do you want another latte?”
The boy looks behind the waitress and then outside the window with a newfound sense of self and hope.
*This short fiction story is inspired by the teachings in the area of self-development.*
Did this help you with your journey of self-discovery? Consider supporting me, but regardless, I hope you continue to prioritize your mental health and do what you love -♡-
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