I was looking through old writing as I write my major declaration essay, and I stumbled across this poem. I remember writing it, in a vague and hazy way, but I found myself surprised by its ending. It was the kind of punch you feel in your chest, in your throat, in your stomach. It brought back a flood of emotions that had laid dormant until this moment, tinged with bittersweet nostalgia, and I allowed myself a moment to sit and think about how my words still ring true. About how not much and so much has changed. There is so much about this poem I would alter in the present day--words I would highlight to play off each other, sentence structures I would shift, periods I would destroy destroy destroy. But I've written it as it's written, in its irritating way (and I may have shared this before, I don't know). This poem just makes me exceedingly grateful to my younger self for taking the time to preserve my thoughts and feelings, especially honest ones, as so much of what I write is exaggerated or fabricated. Anyway, perhaps this may serve as a little reminder for you all to go back and revisit your old self in your writing. Take the time. He/she may be slightly cringeworthy, (especially as far as drama goes), and you'll definitely want to polish up on your words (or just scrap the whole thing), but go easy on yourself. Appreciate it. Savor it. Get to know who you were as the person you are. --END OF PREACHY MOMENT--