My other self

Dear Cameron,

 At the age of 23 and almost ready to graduate (hopefully) from college. It's funny really, but I think both of us didn't expect it to turn out this way, let alone that we've survived the ride. To be honest, your lopsidedness is only countered by your "dumb luck" so much so that everything you do in the past has somehow worked out in your future, though they may be small in some instances. 

Now that you are about to embark on the first real step into your life, we must take a moment to look over how you got to where you are today...

Born to a mother and father who fought over creating you, you entered this world running hard out the gate. When you were three, your parents divorced and set about the motions that would bend the wills of your brothers and your mother. 

Raised by a single parent, your mother did everything she could to provide you with the best you could get, even if it meant that she would have to clean houses everyday for years. It was hard on her, but she didn't care, and you knew. You gave her trouble and hard times, but you knew that she was a great mother and wouldn't trade her away. The only fear you have, however, is that one day you will have to bury her, even if you have to do it alone.


Your brothers are your kin by blood, despite that you have no way of connecting to them beyond the level of friends. 

Your eldest struck out on his own and became a fine man to be proud of, even if you don't know why his wife dislikes you. But you don't care. You still treat them both as family, and that is all that matters. Even if he can be a bit above your head sometimes, you still know he cares and is the most fatherly type of man you have ever met.


Your middle brother was the strong one. One who would have the strength to move mountains, but yet not able to move his heart. You felt sadness at not being able to help him, even if all you did was annoy him. Even as he evolved into a mature adult, you can still feel his youthful energy, even though he acts tough. He is one of the most misunderstood people, besides yourself, that you have ever known.

Normally, I would cut this letter off here, but we both know that you are trying to dodge the problem that you have trouble accepting, and it would be better if we talked about it now.

I know that you have a dislike of your father, and I can only describe it as gently as such. I know he may not have been the best father; attempting to goad you, bad-mouthing your mother in front of you, and not really trying to understand how you feel. We both remember the fiasco you had at your cousin's wedding and how it showed that neither of you know anything about each other. 

But what you need to understand is that you never opened up to your father because you would never talk to him about this. I understand that this is difficult to do, but he is your father, and you can't ignore him for the rest of life. If you learn to express yourself more, perhaps you two could have had a better relationship, instead of what it is today. I know that deep down you really don't hate your father, but that you are disappointed at the way how things turned out. Just try taking a step sometime.

But what really made you what you are today is what you yourself have done to become what you are. You've come a long way from watching Saturday morning cartoons and playing superhero; to watching anime and reading manga because it's easier for you forget yourself and become the character in junior high; becoming involved in the Big Brother Big Sister program and meeting Larry and eventually Paul and how they helped you when you needed a friend despite the fact that you can barely remember them and it makes you sad.

To going through your teen years alone and your multiple attempts at a silent suicide and suffering beyond your breaking point; to your recovery period and your transition to being the class clown in high school, even if you were just a ghost; to you graduating high school and seeing everyone there to congratulate you, swelling your chest with pride even though you would never admit; to the hectic days of working at customer service kiosk at Safeway, and you still having PTSD nightmares to this day; to when you went to community college and met Kelsey, despite all that happened between you two for all of six months.

To the day you couldn't decide on what you wanted to do after and decided to go to Western on a whim; to the day you and Mom sat there an hour before graduation ceremonies and you had to hold back your laughter at explaining to her how to work the camera, even though she failed to get a picture of you; to you first moving into the dorms and meeting Matt, your stalwart companion, your Luigi to your Mario; to how you met Sahara and how now you regret the fact that you learned too late that she was the perfect girl for you; someone who was there; to how you have already spent two years with Matt, and eventually lost him due to what you thought was your age difference, but realizing that you already knew that the time you were to be together was over; to where you finally found a solid group of friends that you can hang out with, even if it's only at dinnertime.

To where you are now, fighting to hold back tears as you read this letter piece by piece realizing that you actually feel a moment of peace now that your life can truly start moving forward to what you want to become: a man who can stand on his own two feet, even if he won't admit to needed a prop sometimes. A man who still secretly enjoys anime and manga, even though it's an obvious fact among the family. A man who will have to admit that love does happen to everyone, despite how cheesy it is and that he'll probably wait until after college for it to happen. A man who has strange thought process that works for him regardless of whatever the norm may be. A man who feels naked without a coat on.

A man who must admit that he is never going to complete his life's journey by the age of 23.

A man who will admit that he enjoys both the light, and the darkness.

A man, who I can feel proud to know. 

A man I can call...







Me.




Everyone needs someone to believe in them, even if it is themselves.

Cameron, I love you and I hope you have the best possible life you can have. Even if you still think you're living on borrowed time.



Cameron 


P.S. Stop being such a lone wolf. You know damn well you enjoy other people's company.

P.S.S. Talk to Kacie.