2024 is my savior, the best year I could’ve asked for.
Half a decade ago, fate turned its back on a boy who dreamt to fulfill his forged aspirations; to represent the school in research fest, to quality in school journalism, and to flash a smile from his teacher. Since the beginning of the year, Patrick felt that everything is in the rig toht place—garnering a keen picture of what his destiny would look like if it was happening at its very moment; but it didn’t. Instead, it twisted like a thread tangled in the loom, leaving the dreams unwovened and incomplete. Five years have passed, it was the last year of high school, except this time, a new set of schoolmates is his company.
His parents and peers always thought that this moment before entering college; often labeled as ‘the real world’ would it opens a bigger world where mistakes, doubts, and failures compromise one’s own persona for the greater good in understanding the reality (as though his current standing weren’t enough to haunt him on cruelty). It’s six in the morning, the only passenger felt the cold air meet his body as the cab started to trail across. From the constant lip pursing, wet palms, and trembling knees; the nervousness is emblematic as he recall the painful experiences in junior high school—like the time his teacher taunted him when he used a wrong formula in a board work, when he was not chosen to participate in a research festival, or the embarrassment he faced in an online research defense during pandemic brought by his group mate’s inadequacy.
Laying across the the possibility of purchasing a time machine, a desire to change the past circumstances coupled with insecurity would secure his spot as the first customer. And school? More like a never-ending trial fueled with judgements and isolation—a paradox to how most of his colleagues perceive it; a garden nurturing its growth. Far from the visions Patrick had years ago, one thing is certain: his dreams will never come true.
But then did the world behold his sorrows, and thus they did awaken him to the remembrance of bliss. By wondrous fate, Patrick was chosen by his schoolmates to bear the mantle of school president. No words could compass the joy that swelled within his heart, for in that moment, he felt, for the first time, the trust of his fellows in his ability to lead. Therefore, the pledges he had sworn for the betterment of the class became steadfast and true.
And as he fulfilled these vows, he didst tread the path that restored the confidence he had lost in days of yore. Ah, how time, that fickle master, spins its threads; so many years tangled and unwoven, leading to a place of sorrow, of doubt, of feeling less than who one ought to be. And yet, fate—ever the unpredictable force—decided, in its mysterious ways, to show a glimmer of hope where none had existed before. For as Patrick, once lost and cast adrift, now stands with a heart afire, pulsing with the newfound strength that his past failures had not the power to extinguish.
As he ascended to the esteemed position of editor-in-chief of the school Publication he then named ‘The Vermilion,’ his heart, once burdened with the weight of impostor syndrome—an unwelcome guest in his mind—began to lift. A weight he had carried for so long, that voice of doubt, that cruel whisper that told him he was not enough, began to fade into the distant past. Third place in news writing, a triumph, though humble in measure, was enough to awaken in him a realization, a truth he had denied for far too long—he was capable. His mind, once clouded with uncertainty, now embraced the brilliance of his own potential. He saw clearly, and that clarity—oh, how it illuminated the path before him.
Then, like a dream made real, his research paper; once just a scribbled collection of thoughts and ideas was heralded as the finest in the competition; it became the best and was held as champion, a testament to the years of hidden, unspoken effort. And in that moment, a fire rekindled within him—confidence, lost in the winds of his past, returned with a vengeance. How sweet it was to realize that the man he had once longed to become, the person he thought could never exist, was now standing before him—whole, unbroken, and confident.
Then, friendships bloomed from this newfound strength—ones that he cherishes, ones that will forever endure. He learned to embrace himself amidst uncertainties. The ties that bind him now, though forged in the fires of trials past, are stronger than any that could be shattered. They are a reminder that even in the darkest days, connections forged with others can light the way, and can carry the weary soul forward.
Oh, 2024.. how it shone brighter than any year before, outshining even the most radiant of hopes he once dared to dream. It was in this year; the year of his rediscovered light—that his dreams, long buried beneath layers of sorrow and self-doubt, ignited once more. After years of wondering if his dreams would ever come true—after years of wondering if he was worthy of even the smallest success—he now stands with his heart ablaze, watching the embers of his once-forgotten aspirations rise into the sky. Yes, this year has proven that his dreams are not mere figments of imagination, but tangible, within his grasp. Grateful, he stands.
Now, as he transcends toward the path of future endeavors, a new chapter unfolds—one brimming with promise, with hope, with the fullness of a dreamer reborn. The boy who once cowered beneath the weight of failure and despair now stands tall, resolute, and unyielding, ready to embrace the world as it unfolds before him. His aspirations, once scattered and broken, now form a constellation—guiding him forward with a light he thought he’d lost. The Patrick who once dared to dream, who once held ambition in his heart like a precious jewel, has returned. And in this, the year that became his hero, he has found not only his dreams but himself—a force awakened, a spirit unshaken. Indeed, 2024 became the year that reignited the fire within, proving that no matter how dark the past, the future holds boundless possibilities.
Finally, he is back.
By: Patrick John A. Insik
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