Revisiting Old Haunts to Satisfy My Inner Masochist — Because Who Doesn’t Love a Little Nostalgia with Their Morning Coffee?

As a writer, I frequently find myself digging through my memories to discover the first one that truly speaks to me. However, these recollections do not necessarily reflect my current emotions or circumstances.

In my mind, there’s a repository full of prior events and connections, like to an ancient graveyard where things have long been buried. Every now and again, I return to these recollections, as if I’m meeting up with old friends over a cup of tea. It allows me to see how much I’ve matured and reflect on the things I’ve learnt along the road. By doing so, I am leaving a trail of lessons and routes for myself and others to follow when we confront difficulties. It takes you back in time without ever becoming stuck there.

Coming to grips with our history might take a long time, or perhaps feel like a lifetime, and I am no exception. This is why I occasionally find myself creating fresh poems or stories about events from years ago. It is not about revisiting or reliving previous scars. Instead, it’s uncovering a piece of hurt that I hadn’t really addressed previously — a bit of emotional baggage that has to be unpacked.

My writing approach is genuinely not about anybody else. It’s tempting to take things personally or try to solve something that wasn’t your fault, but doing so frequently complicates matters. Give me the freedom to express myself and recover without it being about you. It’s not your fault that I’m producing so much melancholy poetry or emotional articles lately. I just discovered the words I needed and decided it was time to put them down on paper and out of my thoughts.

Just because I’m writing about it doesn’t imply I’m still in that emotional state. You don’t have to go back in time to find out where I am today; I no longer live there. If you continue to try to revisit those old portions of my history, you may realise that I have already moved on and am looking ahead.

Be kind.

Permission to Live: Granted by Yours Truly. Breaking Free from Society’s ‘Helpful’ Advice Since Yesterday