Rewind by Driss R. Temsamani

"I was born next to a pond. A fragile leaf from a strong tree, I blossomed to a tall branch. Too ambitious for my pond and too rebellious to stay in my tree, I decided to change my destiny and break free.

Growing up, I met many mentors: a wise frog, a humble fish, and a duck; all tried to teach me the ways of the pond. My biggest adventure began when I met the most wonderful butterfly. She made everything so simple that I dared to leave my pond and venture to the vast ocean.

As the currents drifted me away, toward the burning sun, I realized that I was at a point of no return. I bounced left and right against the waves, and to make the best of the trip, I decided to have fun and not look back.

While drifting in the ocean, I met sharks, eels, and even some killer whales. I also met some stingrays, but always avoided their enchanting and sensual moves. They all told me things that I can barely remember; but one thing for sure, I have always stayed alert to their ways and hollow looks.

Day after day, the currents drew me further away from my home. The farther I got, the wiser I became: from migrating birds, I learned history; from a school of fish, I learned leadership; from the manatees, I learned compassion; and from one particular dolphin, I learned to love.

One day, I found myself riding a storm. I had never seen such a thing. I started to despair; then I remembered patience, courage, and grace. I remembered the words, but could not remember the wise who spoke them. Only one picture came to my mind: a tree, tall and strong, and defiant to the hurly winds. The harsh rains made me remember the frog…the catfish…and the duck of the old pond.

My skin shivered, and a flood of confidence invaded my body. With confidence, I confronted the storm, and as the time passed, I survived. I become confident, arrogant, strong, smart, and ready for any challenge that may come. I continue the ride.

The sun set on a beautiful and endless horizon, and from nowhere, I was hit from behind, only to realize that the fight had just begun. With courage, I confronted my fears. I fought with a cold heart, selfishness, and dry eyes. The hours felt like days; the days felt like months; and the years felt like seconds. One night, bleeding and tired, I crashed on a rock and I decided to rest. My will was broken and I had many scars. I realized that I had lost a lot of companions along the way; the goldfish, the seahorse, and the migrating turtle.

Feeling lonely, I remembered my home, and I cried alone in the dark. As my last tear dripped, I glanced at the sky and I saw a shooting star. I smiled, made a wish, and decided to rest for a while. Right before I closed my eyes, out of the deep of the darkness, the dolphin appeared and with her soft skin, she touched me and ended the restless night.

The next day, I woke up to a new morning, and I found that the ocean was calm. I was ready to drift again toward my destiny: I wanted to let my roots grow; I wanted to see many leaves blossom; I wanted to honor the tree. I was determined not to rest until I found my own pond."