They always said it was dangerous. I never believed them. That is why I did the things I did and said the things I said. It wasn’t due to a lack of love, appreciation or respect, that I disregarded the warnings. It was out of a sense of freedom and determination to become my own person. To finally confront a challenge with no alternative except success. The world I knew was crumbling with every step forward I took, leaving nothing but a rocky cliff biting my heels.
They always said it was dangerous. I never imagined that it would be overwhelming. It sapped every once of energy from my body, and every thread of sanity from my mind. I was left helpless, exposed and drained. Yet deep inside me a nut still stood solid under the compounding pressure. Tendrils of hairline cracks ran along its surface, but it remained dutiful. This small nut guarding something I believed precious, and I wouldn’t let the world crush it.
Mile 29 