THROUGH BROKEN LENSES

Keeping in touch and reconnecting with childhood friends and acquaintances has not always been a sweet venture for me. Asides the fact that the conversation might at some point end up being awkward, it is also the possibility of one party sensing the other's preconceived notion about him playing out subtly while the conversation lasts.

A few months ago, I got in touch with a dear friend of mine from way back in primary school who currently resides in the United States. Back then, she used to be every teachers darling and from all indications, life was all nice and rosy for her. There, while we rebounded via Facebook chat, I couldn't help but think about what she thought of me. Not what life had come to be, but what kind of lens I was viewed with amidst the pretty smile that hung on my profile picture. Was I still that kid who loved to talk faster than a parrot or did I still come across to her as that failure who didn't stand a chance of getting promoted into sixth grade? How much of the old me had she willingly let go of?

It was Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher that said that "Life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forwards." Not many persons are ready to do away with the old you yet. Family would always want to remind you of how you budded before their very eyes and acquaintances want to suppress your growth with horrible relics from your past. Although, they really want to have a good look at you, they do that through broken lenses. 

However, gradually, one would begin to realize that this behaviour is nothing but man's natural tendency. A tendency that is very repellent to change.

I had dialouged with a sweet lady over the week who mentioned remarkably that life had a way of producing 'different editions of us.' My heart did a thousand suplexes when I heard that! Yes, life is very progressive with each progression birthing a different version of us better than we were yesterday. Although, I was not much of a wearisome kid growing up, but I sure knew I took some shameful decisions based on my plain of understanding then and with time, I have evolved and still am evolving. 

Life has taught us that we don't get to see the end of people and so there is really no gain in strolling occasionally into the archives of their pasts to read-out-loud outdated editions of them or viewing them from blurred perspectives, lest you run the risk of damaging your eye sight with myopia.

Thanks for reading and have a Merry Christmas

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