You May Need It

“[O]ne of the mixed blessings of being twenty and twenty-one and even twenty-three is the conviction that nothing like this, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, has ever happened before.”― Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem.

Indeed Didion, a mixed blessing it is. Similar to clutching a two-edged sword, it elicits a conflicted sense of blessings. You get to hold an edge that protects you but somehow harms you from the other side. To refer to this ironic twist is perhaps just a reflection of being in your twenties. Most contradicting, unsettling, and downside resilience time of our life, isn't it? You get to be called "naive" but you are also fully expected to act carefully in any endeavor.

But oh, how I love being called naive, doesn't naivete allows us to approach new experiences with a sense of wonder and excitement? Imagine; no burdens by preconceived notions, a free soul that explores the world with open arms, greeting each day with fresh alarms. However, just like any doubled sword weapon, you must look at both sides so you don't get led down a foolish line. For though new experiences may seem so freshly appealing, It holds both light and darkness, too. For in your naivete lies a power that never cowers, remember the fact that it will eventually stumble you on untried ground. But let it linger that it is only (guidance in disguise) that leads you on your life's endless tour. So keep it, let it shine and light the way.

Keep in mind, this slowly disappears. Despite the fact that as we gain more knowledge and expertise, day after another we eventually lose part of our naiveté. Hence while it lasts, appreciate and keep it as a reminder of what you got left of a limitless nature.

Written by Nada