Finding My Shape

If I had to pick a shape to represent myself and who I am at this point in my life journey, I would choose an open and irregular circle. When I visualize this shape, I see outlines and edges that are not perfectly round or smooth but rather freeflowing. There are openings that lead inward to endless possibilities as well as outer contours that reach outward to connect with others. This symbolic circle captures the essence of my identity, always evolving, seeking to help, wanting to grow.

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I started out more like a square in my youth, rigid, predictable, sticking firmly to rules and order. I valued precision and accuracy which suited my natural talents in anything that goes with reading. However, as I accumulated life experiences, that angular solidity gave way to a more fluid way of thinking. My need for control and perfection started to feel restrictive. I realized the world was much more complex than stories written.

An awakening occurred later as relationships and exposure to diverse cultures began reshaping my perspectives. I learned that open and respectful dialogue with those holding opposing views offered paths to meaningful resolution. My mind expanded to entertain ideas contradicting my long-held assumptions. Empathy and compassion increasingly seasoned my thoughts and decisions. These shifts toward more inclusive philosophies explained my gravitation toward community service. I wanted to understand people's sufferings and help ease them if possible.

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The more humans I connected with, the more humbled I felt by the resiliency of the human spirit. My heart broke and expanded simultaneously in the face of others' hardships. Inequities and injustices I had not fully recognized became visible. I started perceiving the threads linking societal problems to policies and power structures entrenched in self-preservation rather than compassion. My eyes opened wider to see complex root causes beneath surface level symptoms. Keeping an open but discerning mind became even more important to avoid knee-jerk reactions.

At this stage of my life, headings on old blueprints have washed away. Fixed guides or global positioning systems cannot chart my course ahead. Rather I move forward fueled by conviction that all people equally deserve basic dignities. My direction aligns to this inner compass more than any imposed exterior grid. When barriers arise that obstruct this essential flow, I find gaps to seep through permeable cracks and continue on. Around intimidating edges I flow like water, searching for openings, dissolving slowly with persistence.

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While still gaining my bearings, I feel feet firmly rooted in rich soils of community where seeds of change take hold. My scattered self comes together through collective hopes shared with other common souls. The isolated squares of yesterday fade farther from view behind me. Ahead on the winding path, I spot the irregular shape I have become open, evolving, pressing forward. The landscape stretches beyond sight, obscured beyond the next rise. But traveling onward feels like coming home, into the welcoming arms of humanity. I breathe in possibility and exhale faith that each small turn of countless circles will redeem this world.

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So this open and irregular circle represents my current shape - imperfect but progressing, bringing what I can to help heal divisions and build unity. All that lies within and beyond me bonds together raising spirits skyward. I take comfort that this bumpy circle will round more smoothly down the road. For now, I accept myself as the work in progress I am, solidifying along the bends.

_{This is my response to the hive ghana prompt}