Photos by Kyna Abigail Sobrevega (1,3,4,8-10) and Paula Jhea Sison (2,5-7,11,12)
Editing by Suzanne June Perante
Story by Kim Shelly Tan
As we end our first issue 'Something Old, Something New', we, your SNAP! Squad, wish that our fellow YAs learn from the lessons of the past, present, and future. There is no shame to admitting to our failures and imperfections and slowly learning from them or learning to work with them.
Excess baggage & nostalgia, idleness, and uncertainty-- the ghosts of the past, present, and future.
Past: Do not look at her striking eyes. You left her in the past for a reason. She is alluring in such a way that triggers your longing for the past. You wish you can return to the simpler times, but mind you, with what you call simpler times also includes the deep-seated anger of your childhood issues. She comes with the same things you've already moved away from or in the process of moving away from. You are stronger now because of what she endured then. You can hear it from the stomps of her feet when she walks and from how her movement is never calculated. Would it really be worth it to go back?
Present: She is mellow and forgiving, yet somehow, there is always melancholy in her eyes. On good days, she learns from the past and daydreams of the future. On bad days, she represents your fake smiles and the I'm okay's when you're not. The greatest thing about Present is she lives day by day. Whenever she begins to think that the day is going so horribly, she reminds herself that today will soon pass, and that there is another day, another chance to start over waiting for her. She hopes to be kinder to herself.
Future: Uncertainty. Is the expression on her face fear? Is it an attempt to appear strong? She finds anxiety in turning the page of a calendar, in birthdays, and new years. To her, no matter how much people stare at their palms and at tea leaves settled at the bottom of a cup, the future is never certain. She finds it hard to draw the line between anxiety and excitement. Can't she try to see the brighter side of things? An unmarked page of a calendar for new adventures? Birthdays as a celebration of new milestones reached? New years as opportunities to fill a journal with new memories?
Which ghost bothers you the most and how do you cope with it?
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