It seems not long after high school. Not long after walking across that stage for a shake of my right hand and an empty case for my diploma placed in my left. Not long after going upstairs and receiving the actual diploma to go within the case.

It was at that point that the world was open wide. All four of the walls dropped down and it was an expanse, edgeless, bright and brand new. Open plains and bright sunshine. The world rolled open at my feet, and every direction whispered of promise. Because I was young, and youth makes you strong and beautiful; full of daring. Bright. And maybe it wasn’t the world that was lit up for me, but me lighting up the world. Being such, anything old and worn was tossed, crushed underfoot. Because bright young things deserve something equally bright and new.

8 years later. 8 years and I wonder what happened. All the brightness dulled away. The crisp edges wore out around the ages. Or maybe the daring that made me brand new have worn around the edges. Obstacles came jutting skyward like mountains; dissident and begrudging it had ever had to lay flat for me from the beginning. And either the world has dulled out or that brilliance in me has died out. A steady resonant dulling, wearing out. Encroached upon as such, the same old dull things that at one point were trampled, are picked up, dusted off, and clung to with a desperation.

Damn near pathetic.