A day. Just like any other day. I woke up, took the bus, had pizza during assembly hour, and had a few laughs on my way home on the bus. My biggest fear, and the thing that occupied my mind during the whole bus ride was: What if my brothers finish the koshary mom made for lunch? I couldn't think of anything else. I was jumping around from seat to seat, stealing everyone's gum, chocolate or chips - not a care in the world. The most exciting news I got all day was that my article was finally released on AUC Times, and I was going around bragging about it. I even took a picture of it and was planning to upload it once I got home. So I took the remaining copies my friends had for my loved ones to see, and stepped out of the bus. As I waved to my best friends, who would always wave to me from the window, I walked through a small garden, completely clueless of what I was about to encounter.
It was nighttime, and that never bothered me because I take this road home every single day, and nothing ever happened. It's not even a straight, solid ground. It's like a mini garden, surrounded by a couple of small trees, and bushes on the right, filled with barbed wires. Too concerned with the wires on my right, I stuck to the left side of the sidewalk. I was in the middle of a conversation with two friends, who accompanied me on the way home when suddenly, I found myself underground. I almost fell into the sewer. Bel 3araby keda we2e3t f bala3a, and the only thing that kept me up is my bare hands. I stepped on what seemed to be a closed lid, and it cracked open, leaving me hanging in mid-air. I held onto the ground with my arms, and my thigh was pushed against the square-shaped wall. Thank God I had my friends walking next to me. They had to pull me out as I was in too much pain to pull myself up. I could tell this was an emergency by the way they rushed to me, and the looks on their faces. I was shocked way beyond the point where I could assess the situation and act accordingly. I just lay there in pain, waiting for them, for what seemed to be forever, to pull me up. I did not fully understand the consequences of what had happened until further along the night.
I never knew this was as huge as it actually is, but it makes me wonder a lot about life and how far I've come today. It makes me wonder, "How the hell am I supposed to take caution or prevent something like this from happening again?" I used to think if you're careful enough, you won't get yourself hurt, or at least get minimal damage. But what if that's not the way to do it? What am I doing wrong? Or right, for that matter.....
It scares me to death to think you can't control something, because I have been living all my life controlling how I act, how I feel, and how I perceive things. This manhole was not of any significance to me. It was just another hole in the ground. But that little deceitful, seemingly harmless hole could have cost me my whole life. And it had enough power to physically wound me. It had the power to influence the way I think. It had the power to keep me from leaving my house today in the first place. Did I see it coming? No, I still can't even process the fact that I could have been gone for good. I know I am always susceptible to any given harmful situation, but I never thought it could seem so trivial or so damn early.
So while I'm here, thinking about my little black hole, I want you to think about yours. Think about the little things. Because they are the only things that matter.
It was nighttime, and that never bothered me because I take this road home every single day, and nothing ever happened. It's not even a straight, solid ground. It's like a mini garden, surrounded by a couple of small trees, and bushes on the right, filled with barbed wires. Too concerned with the wires on my right, I stuck to the left side of the sidewalk. I was in the middle of a conversation with two friends, who accompanied me on the way home when suddenly, I found myself underground. I almost fell into the sewer. Bel 3araby keda we2e3t f bala3a, and the only thing that kept me up is my bare hands. I stepped on what seemed to be a closed lid, and it cracked open, leaving me hanging in mid-air. I held onto the ground with my arms, and my thigh was pushed against the square-shaped wall. Thank God I had my friends walking next to me. They had to pull me out as I was in too much pain to pull myself up. I could tell this was an emergency by the way they rushed to me, and the looks on their faces. I was shocked way beyond the point where I could assess the situation and act accordingly. I just lay there in pain, waiting for them, for what seemed to be forever, to pull me up. I did not fully understand the consequences of what had happened until further along the night.
I never knew this was as huge as it actually is, but it makes me wonder a lot about life and how far I've come today. It makes me wonder, "How the hell am I supposed to take caution or prevent something like this from happening again?" I used to think if you're careful enough, you won't get yourself hurt, or at least get minimal damage. But what if that's not the way to do it? What am I doing wrong? Or right, for that matter.....
It scares me to death to think you can't control something, because I have been living all my life controlling how I act, how I feel, and how I perceive things. This manhole was not of any significance to me. It was just another hole in the ground. But that little deceitful, seemingly harmless hole could have cost me my whole life. And it had enough power to physically wound me. It had the power to influence the way I think. It had the power to keep me from leaving my house today in the first place. Did I see it coming? No, I still can't even process the fact that I could have been gone for good. I know I am always susceptible to any given harmful situation, but I never thought it could seem so trivial or so damn early.
So while I'm here, thinking about my little black hole, I want you to think about yours. Think about the little things. Because they are the only things that matter.
