This Story Is About You (short fiction)
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Believe it or not, I wrote this story about you. Yes, you. The person reading this right now. True, I don’t know your name, where you were born or what you do for work, but that doesn’t really matter.
I am going to be honest. I like you, the real you that is. The you that exists beyond those small details.
It’s because of your personality, your little quirks and your passion.
It’s because of how you feel about yourself and how you fit into the world.
It is about how you hold yourself in public. The parts of you that you choose to share, and the parts you choose to keep hidden from all but a few. It’s even about the parts that you swear you will never show anyone.
You do this because you have been burnt. You shared too much, and subsequently paid the price. So now you play it safe, holding enough of yourself back so you can fit in with the crowd. But let me tell you something, if anyone pays to look, and you choose to open up to them, you certainly stand out.
When this happens, people see you as I see you, and they like you for the same reasons I like you.
You are an independent thinker, someone who won’t just accept the statements of other. You demonstrate this by not just going along with something that you find distressing or simply wrong. You say something.
They don’t know it, but this doesn’t always come easy. Because although you can appear extraverted and confident, the truth is that inside you often feel quite reserved, almost like an introvert putting on an ‘outgoing’ mask.
But please, stop criticizing yourself. For these things, as well as everything else that I haven’t mentioned. You berate yourself far too much.
The truth is that you have a great deal of potential that you are still yet to tap into. You can feel it if you try, deep inside. There is so much more of you left, so much more strength that you can bring to bare.
You should tap into this potential, embrace it and use it. Apply it to those lofty goals and aspirations that you seldom share. Yes some of your dreams are so large that they borderline on the unrealistic, but you never know, if you let yourself truly commit, you could do wonders.
Dreams are meant to be chased.
Regardless of whether or not you accomplish them isn’t the point, it is the process that will really bring you satisfaction. Although you like your life as it is, I know that you are a little bit bored by it. You hate feeling so hemmed in by the restrictions, responsibilities and limitations. So go for it, and change will come.
Like most of the major decisions of your life, you will have serious doubts as to if you have made the right decision, or have done the right thing, and I know that despite craving change you really do value security.
So really it is about finding a balance here. Believe in yourself, trust yourself and make some change. Regardless of what happens, you are capable of looking after yourself. You have managed before, and will certainly manage again.
This is another reason why I like you. When the chips are down, you can still be relied upon to push through, come up with creative solutions and survive. It may not be pretty, but it certainly does work.
So how will your story end?
I don’t know the specifics of course, but I do know that it will be exciting. You will have some amazing highs, but also some terrible lows. It is important to remember that nothing really lasts. Both the good and the bad will pass.
So when your story is a happy story, embrace it fully. Love deeply and share widely. But also remember to put a little aside for the next rainy day.
When your story is sad, know that it won’t last. Your life may be irrevocably changed, and that change may hurt, know that you will recover far stronger than you were prior.
I am excited to see where you are going, and I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Just remember that life is an adventure, an epic story, with you starring as main character.
You just need to keep acting like it.
