LITERARY | Yours Truly, S. Payabyab

𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙏𝙖𝙢,

This year felt like living different lives all at once. I witnessed myself standing at the edge of transition throughout the year, close enough to see what's about to come, yet I remain stuck while simply waiting for things to take shape. There's a relentless feeling that lingered through me for the rest of the year as I watched myself spin in a whirlwind of quiet shifts, engulfed in the invisible storm of change.

I once learned from the philosopher Heraclitus that change is the only constant in life. That is to say, change is something inevitable. And when someone is wise and old, they will tell you that change is not supposed to be scary. Now, I am no philosopher nor I consider myself wise enough. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙡.

Just last January, I was an interior design student at a state college, poised to turn towards architecture. But when the rain of July poured, the relentless sense of misdirection washed over me. Suddenly, I found my feet chasing the sunsets of August in a different university— an unexpected path I never envisioned. And here I am, pursuing my passion over what other people once molded me to be.

Perhaps, it is true that your new life will cost you your old one. That reality can be both terrifying and oddly comforting at the same time. 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙮. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙜𝙤 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.  It is frightening to say the least. But on the other side of fear lies the promise of ever becoming. There, you will find a life meant to build for the person you no longer are. You will unfold dreams that will serve your values and meet people destined to cross your path until you find yourself again. 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙨, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙚'𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚.

Now, I will not tell you to never be afraid, for I know well that fear is as inevitable as change. But despite that, remember that you can always choose to be brave. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧.

𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮,

𝘚𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘢 𝘗𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘣𝘺𝘢𝘣

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