My independence day
The 1st day I felt I was truly independant... well... to say the truth I still don't know if I'm truly independent. I in some way or another felt and still feel co-dependent of someone (be it parents, teachers, friends, love relationships...) or the country I live in... but I never saw it in this light until this last couple of months. This path and the choices that I made as well as the posture I had... well I see its central core now.
Still I wanted to remind myself of moments of freedom I've had to put the pieces together...
As a young ping pong player, the only thing I was good at as a child and recognized for it, I felt freedom in playing the way I wanted it, feeling the speed of the ball, holding my ping-pong paddle and play however I wanted to...
As a 19 years old when I went for a 3 weeks holiday in Greece with people a bit older than me where we were walking through amazing path and trekked through a mountain a day. I felt free and it is there and then i decided that I would go abroad. I begun exchanging in english with this great greek guide...
As a 21 years old at last finishing my high school going to Club Med meeting people and experiencing love for the 1st time and deciding to go with a help of someone dear to my heart who gently pushed me to step up and encourage me to move abroad and stay even if it wasn't easy thanks to the emotional blackmail my parents were exercising on me.
When in Ireland I went from being au pair in Cork with a small time in Dublin and then decided to move to Galway (one of the most beautiful warm-hearted place I've seen) and discovering I was pretty passionate which didn't occur to me because I felt dead inside whenever I was at my parents place. I discovered that I could learn and feel great about studying – I did a course on interior design and got my diploma a year later – study, get better grades I never had at school, and enjoy the process... in english.
The 1st time I could buy my own food, it was Xmas time. I could choose to eat whatever I wanted, cook it and eat it. That is when i decided to try eating vegetarian and at the time and definitely for french people and my parents in particular, this was dumb and outrageous. I remember having a lecture (when they came to see my in ireland) on why I was stupid to do this...
I have had other moments of freedom I've experienced through this path of mine. Those are great because they reminds me of my ability to take action and how I felt in the process.
There will be more.