3–4 minutes

8: Old Habits Either Die Hard or Don’t Ever Die

Word count: 585 words

Time to read: 4 minutes

Today started off really chill and uniquely for me. Instead of waking up and quickly changing in hopes of making it to our class destination on time, I slept in. After waking up, I decided to skip breakfast and just walk around the neighborhood. As I’ve said many a time, I just don’t get out back home. I think I’m too scared to. It isn’t the safety that concerns me, I know that, but I don’t know what holds me back.

I ended up finding some souvenirs for home, fulfilling a mission of mine I’ve had on this trip!

In no time, we found ourselves walking to the museum of the day. Upon arriving, we found out we’d just missed Dove Cameron by a few minutes. Even more disappointing was finding out we wouldn’t be able to handle artifacts because of our collaborator’s oversight. It’s just back to back failures, I thought, sort of humored.

We were fortunate to at least see some of the museum, and it was drop-dead gorgeous. On top of that, thanks to Professor Yarrow’s request, we got to see some manuscripts from centuries past. Some of them weren’t even replicas! I left the museum feeling fortunate and grateful.

The preservation of artifacts tends to be a careful collaboration between institutions and their visitors. I think to the quote, “The benefits of their dynamic potential could be reaped in a climate of increased collaboration,” which is something I’m trying to get better at. Sometimes, two minds are better than one.

Later that night, everything seemed to be going normal, until I crashed.

I have to be honest, blogging has helped me so much. I felt like for an extended period of time, I was losing a spark. Being forced to write and ruminate has made me feel so much sharper and better adept at processing my emotions.

I don’t normally do this, but when I felt myself beginning to crash, I started writing. Much of this is rudimentary and not overly embellished, but it made me feel significantly better, and that’s all that matters to me. I hope you can’t relate to this feeling, but that you can understand what I’m getting at. P.S. since WordPress doesn’t allow for blank space, I broke up each section with periods, just to make flow of reading better!

Am I not helping my case? 

Am I making it worse?  

I go back to my tendencies 

The second I feel the atmosphere turn

.

I see it in your face 

Or maybe I made it up

I still go back to that place 

The one that’s keeping me stuck 

.

You laugh, but I don’t 

But I desperately want to 

To relate and to get it 

To feel like I belong, too 

.

You’re bored until you’re not 

You’re happier when I’m not there 

He’s gone and now you don’t want to talk 

It hurts to feel like a spare 

.

I know I should’ve stayed 

My perception in the moment is murky 

Could’ve tried to work it out 

Think I’m keen on leaving early 

.

Your slight pushback drives me to the most extreme 

If I’m not reminded every second that with you I’m complete 

I decide in that moment that it must mean 

That, really, you must just not like me  

.

I’m only human, yes, I know I see what I see 

But I’ve always known I’m different 

Even if different’s not what I want to be 

.

You don’t ever use those words in our brief talks alone 

Tell me, why did you code switch?

It hurts to see your smile disappear

The second I part my lips 

.

So certain I got better 

Celebrated the death of my past  

Until I’m in faced with the circumstance again

Will I repeat this ‘til my last breath?  

.

I can’t help it 

And I know you can’t, too

Can’t blame you when to leave 

When I run like I always do 

4 responses to “8: Old Habits Either Die Hard or Don’t Ever Die”

  1. dakota kanouse Avatar
    dakota kanouse

    I completely empathize with the feeling you describe in your blog post. The days in Rome can be exciting, overwhelming and tiring, which is good but you also need plenty of time to reflect. The blog posts forces us to take a moment, reflect on our experiences and almost reset. Leavening us fresh and sharp, like you said, for the next adventure.

    Like

  2. shamiquasmp4 Avatar

    HI HAMOOD! This blog post is so raw and real. Thanks for sharing. i think blogging is so helpful and im so inspired by your redirection of expressing emotions before resting with or in them. i also felt really drained after the first week but once i took just one day to rejuvenate and just get out on my own, I realized it isn’t so bad. I also don’t get out much in the city, I’m usually with family so this was sort of a big jump and change can be exhausting. “But I’ve always known I’m different” i resonate with this.

    Like

  3. Safa Hidais Avatar
    Safa Hidais

    Hi Hamood, I really enjoyed reading your post. I liked how honest it was, especially the way you talked about taking time to walk around by yourself in the morning. I also loved how you turned the disappointment at the Academy into something positive because getting to see those manuscripts was still such a cool experience. And thank you for sharing your poem. It takes a lot to be that open, and I think that’s what made your post so meaningful. I’m really glad blogging has been helping you, it reminds me of journaling a way to escape from your headspace

    Like

  4. fannie Avatar

    Thank you for sharing your poetry Hamood. Being able to create art to express complicated emotions and thoughts really helps me too. The American Academy was definitely beautiful and such a luxury to see! I’m happy we were able to see the archives thanks to Professor Yarrow and Sebastian.

    Like

Leave a comment