A Medium Prompt
You’re Who You Are Today, When?
KTHT April writing prompts 18–22
There’s a lawn at the front of my house on 4th Avenue, Benin City.
A few feet away, I’m seated on my friend's balcony, directly opposite my house, watching with teary eyes the influx of people, friends, relatives and well-wishers — as they come and go into my home.
My dad just passed. And I’m wrapping my young teenage head around the reality.
As the days went by, and his passing sank in slowly, accepting his death felt like letting go. And moving on felt like a betrayal.
A new reality was being forced on me.
And in this new reality, I realised it’s dangerous to hold on too tightly to things. All things, including fathers, are temporary.
Five years later I was right.
And this time it was my brother who passed. While mourning his passing, my girlfriend of six years, finally realised we weren’t meant for each other and left too.
Today I look back and see how these experiences have shaped me into who I am today — socially, psychologically and emotionally.
We build our ideology and personal philosophies based on our life experiences. Whether bitter or sweet. They become our truths. Our compass. And no one can take them from us or convince us otherwise.
I feel there’s a part of me that never moved past the loss of my father. And my brother. And maybe I never will. The memory and lessons from these experiences, I’m sure, will stay with me forever. And maybe, they’re the incentives that have helped me appreciate people and moments even more.
Indeed — pain changes people. Experiences morph people.
I chose this prompt because I believe, just like the phoenix, experience is the flames out of which we rise, shedding our former selves. We become a little bit less naive. Or a little bit stronger. Or maybe, a little bit more conscious. Or a little bit more fearful — maybe.
So this week's prompts are as follows:
- You’re who you are today, when? (When was this version of you born?)
- What experience may have influenced the person you are today?
- What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from such an experience?
- Is there a quality you gained from those experiences that have been an asset for you today?
Don’t overthink it. Just let the mind reflect, ponder and allow the words to flow.
Like every other prompts, there are no right or wrong answers. These particular prompts, I’m sure, are about sharing your story and who that story made you into.
I’m looking forward to reading all your stories and the impact of those stories. Tag me, George Blue Kelly and any of the editors, Diana C., Spyder, jules, Ravyne Hawke