Well, tomorrow it begins. Well, Monday rather. I don’t know where exactly to begin lol. I mean, wow. 3 and a half years down, and I’m finally about to graduate. My academic career speaks for itself, but it’s not exactly the education which pertains to my adolescence period. It was always more about the moments. The memories I’ve shared at college will stay with me forever. There were times I felt like an absolute king, taking in bliss and immortality. There were other times I felt like a disgruntled peasant, embracing pain and defeat with immense distress. I had a conversation with a good friend of mine about a month ago. We were sitting down, cooked up some shit, scrolling through netflix, just reminiscing, mutually enjoying the nostalgia in our voices. We brought up the idea about what if our younger selves could see what we’ve become now, particularly a hypothetical situation where freshman us could somehow analyze the senior us. He stated that the freshman me would be proud: accomplished two mixtapes, performed shows, maintained a decent GPA, pseudo-relationships experienced, adversity narrowly escaped — narrowly solidified, a body weight of 188 lbs, a height of six feet, benching 225 lbs after not being able to bench 125 when entering college, great relationship with family, and the ability to not only cope with loneliness, but also the ability to be happy alone. And although at times I question everything, and experience nightmares about the stories I’ve only been able to share with a few trustworthy souls, I wake up every morning ready to take on the next challenge. The accomplishments that lie ahead of me are waiting for a sign of life. Here it is, an optimistic yet cynical entry; in other words, I’ve sustained this level of exposure for years, and by me reiterating the same principles with a higher level of execution, it proves that I have remained in this continuum above nothing else. The cynic inside me will continue on until I die, but the optimism, which should be a hopeful reminder of my character, will reside in this story long after I’m gone. Long after my bones disintegrate. I’ve spent two decades trying to shape myself into becoming someone you all, including my parents, my peers, and my superiors, and especially society, will admire and love. All that I have faced, for the majority, has been rejection. I’m no longer afraid of my downfall. Go ahead. Reject me. All that it does is rekindle the ember patiently resting in my heart. I am finally ready to admit my flaws, embrace my pain, go to combat with my strengths, and take on this world. Your arrogance and indifference has only made me stronger. It has equipped me with the necessary tools to embrace my fears; furthermore, for 21 and a half years, I’ve been the sleeping giant. Today, I awake.