Learning to Stay

Things have been overwhelming all the time lately.
It’s frustrating when I think about everything I used to do, everything I used to enjoy, and how distant it all feels now.
And the reason? I don’t know. I’m still figuring it out.
What feels even more disturbing is realizing that the one thing you consider normal about yourself might not be normal to someone else. And sometimes, those are the very people you slowly begin pulling into your centripetal core.
Suddenly, that becomes the reason you stop pulling them any closer.
We are different humans, built under different circumstances, brought up by different cultures, families, and experiences. So why don’t we simply choose to remain different?
Different in whatever way makes us feel safe.
Different in whatever way allows us to stay calm.
Different without constantly having to explain ourselves.
People come and go.
People comment and go.
And maybe it’s always good to have a breastplate.
Something that protects you while you figure out who you are.