Being 22

Another year just came and went and just like that, I am once again turning a year older and well I hope another year wiser.

The past year has been eventful. It has been filled with many highs and lows. It has been a year of self discovery and of me figuring out many things for myself.

What I am now is something that I did not see coming, its very far from what I envisioned myself to be once I turned 23 but that is okay. What I have become is something that I think is so much better.

Indeed, I'm at a point in my life where I have decisions to make and things to consider and I know that maybe along the way I would make mistakes and do things that I'd regret but maybe it will all be okay.

As I celebrate my birthday this year, away from home, away from my family and loved ones and amidst a pandemic that has kept everyone on lockdown I am forced to think about how I have lived my life. It has got me into thinking of how precious time is and how sometimes I have taken things for granted.

My recent birthdays were celebrated amidst the hustle of campus elections in UPLB. I have been so used to being able to celebrate it with the people that I consider my home away from home, the very same people that I still have now as friends amidst the lockdown. My birthday always coincided with some sort of activity that showcased the struggle of the students and of the masses. This year wouldn't be any different.

As I turn 23 and I examine the world and society around me I am more than ever resolved that the struggle continues. My only wish is that hopefully soon I can be out on the streets again, shouting and chanting our calls and fighting for what is right.