Pursuing happiness as a goal has detrimental effects

 The phrase “follow your heart” has been the moral of countless stories where the princess is told to pursue what makes her happy, and that would result in everything being perfect. Real life is quite a few steps away from a fairytale, and thus, happiness cannot be the holy grail one goes after to expect success. In the real world, a practical approach to making and carrying out goals is critical. Just pursuing happiness as a goal has detrimental effects, including being unable to cope with negative emotions and not having the capability to grow and learn from your experiences; thus, happiness should be used in tandem with other goal posts, such as financial success. 

To start with, only chasing happiness as one’s sole aim in life results in not being able to deal with or handle emotions that are not as pleasant. For example, a person who only goes after happiness will completely break down at something like the death of a person. This event is completely devastating, and someone who does not have experience with negative emotions will feel this loss more intensely than someone who is hardened by past emotional encounters. Having a variety of emotions throughout one’s life and being able to deal with them allows a person to grow and, more importantly, learn from their mistakes. Every experience that someone undergoes changes them in some way, and diversity in one’s emotional aims allows them to get through virtually anything that is thrown at them. For instance, if one is set in their ways and the fact that their only goal in life is to be happy at all times, they would be less willing to take career advice, as they only believe in moment-to-moment happiness and will not think of the long-term consequences of their decisions. 

While only having happiness as a goal could be detrimental to one’s future, including happiness as a factor in one’s future plans is important. Focusing on only monetary success or societal opinion as an aim can cause someone to be in a situation they are not comfortable in. One example of this is the infamous old Indian tradition of forced marriages, or marriages of convenience. These are marriages done purely for the sake of one’s familial obligations or for monetary reasons, without caring about the happiness of the two people involved. This can cause someone to be with a person they do not love for the rest of their lives, with no chance of future contentment. These situations can be avoided if happiness is added to the equation and considered before making irreversible decisions. 

Overall, only having happiness as a goal can have quite dire consequences, as it can cause one to live in an idealistic world without learning from other emotions, being unable to emotionally or psychologically develop from experiences, and being unable to take advice from others about their decisions. However, if happiness is not in the equation at all, this can cause severe discontentment with life. Thus, the best way that happiness can be enjoyed in the future is to use it as a goal, along with other, more pragmatic goals that truly ensure that one has a stable livelihood and is truly comfortable in life. 

Theory about why Indian languages are so diverse

Indian languages are so decentralized and diverse primarily because of the traditions of the predominant religion– Hinduism.  Unlike the Abrahamic religions, Hinduism never really had a central text or rigid practices. Yes, there were the Vedas, the Puranas,  and countless mythological stories and epics, but they cannot be compared with the Bible, Torah, or Quran. 

Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world, and it is often referred to as more of a philosophy, a way of life, rather than a religion. Due to its age and influence over the entire subcontinent of India, far before the arrival of much foreign influence, Hinduism was most likely more of an oral practice. Stories were passed down through families, lessons about life and universal mysteries were discussed, myths about the natural world and explanations of the unknown were debated; all of this long before the Vedic period.

All of this is to say that due to the oral nature of ancient Hinduism, everybody practices the religion differently. Aside from the vague philosophies at the core of Hinduism, not too much unified all the Believers until the later part of Indian history. As there was no central text, rigid practices, or much missionary work, languages were able to evolve separately.

Compared to the emergence of Arabic and the Islamic world, which can be credited to the teachings of the Quran in Arabic, along with missionary work, usually also taught in Arabic. Hinduism, on the other hand, didn't have one text or one language unifying all its believers. Myths and practices were passed down orally in the vernacular languages of certain regions, thus allowing for linguistic independence and the flourishing of both Sanskrit and Dravidian languages. Thus, despite being in the same geographical area, Indian languages are so incredibly different and remain linguistically separated centuries later.

Indian Fashion Industry and the Modern World

     Indian fashion has been shaping the fashion industry for centuries. From first producing cotton during the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300–1300 BCE) to trading textiles with the ancient Romans, and finally to walking the runway at elite high fashion shows. India has always been at the forefront of fashion, even if credit was not always given where it is due. 

Indian fashion is diverse, with different textiles and art in each region - from the textile handloom silk of South India to the cotton of West and East India. For example, one textile you may have heard of is Madras checks from the Chennai region. Its patterns and breathability made it a favorite of the world and part of the “old money aesthetic” during the 1950s in the US. These plaid checkered shirts offered comfort and effortless style, becoming a wardrobe staple for all around the world. 

Another great example is embroidery that is taking the world by storm is Gujrati Shisha or mirror embroidery. While this style originated in Persia, it developed and grew into a definitive art during the Mughal era in India. This art style has been found across Indian garments for hundreds of years and has recently made a comeback in the luxury fashion scene. Labels such as Dior, Tom Ford, and Sabyasachi, among others, have brought this embroidery back to the world stage with Dior’s Fall 2023 collection featuring the work. Recently, Parada inthe  2025 fashion week featured another Indian art and textile, Kolhapuri Chapple ( slippers) as expensive leather sandals. 

These regional arts and textiles have had a profound impact on the world. Without the bandana, used by laborers and farmers for years in South Asia, cowboy and 70s fashion alike would be incomplete. Without tie-dye from Tamil Nadu, the 60s hippie culture would have taken a crushing blow. Last, but certainly not least, if it weren’t for the spinning wheel, originating in the Indus Valley Civilization, which increased the yarn output from Indian-grown cotton, there would be no fashion. 

From ancient times to the present day, Indian textiles and arts have revolutionized the fashion industry and continue to shape the world, one thread at a time.

The Contreversy of "living in the moment"

  In an interview with People Magazine, the renowned tennis player, Naomi Osaka, discussed the lessons she’s learned and the importance of “living in the moment” and “enjoying the journey.” While these common phrases are often misinterpreted as only applying to a select group of people, I believe that Naomi Osaka’s quote is completely valid in every context and applicable in every situation. 

While the audience of People Magazine is generally comfortable and well-off, the quote can especially relate to those in terrible situations. For example, in class, we viewed a photograph of a girl laughing on a swing amid the wreckage of a Sudanese refugee camp. This photo is powerful as it shows that even in some of the most dire circumstances a person can be in, happiness is still possible. In fact, I argue that it is more crucial to “live in the moment” and enjoy the present in these situations, as we don’t know what will happen next. The girl in the photo may have lost her loved ones and seen the worst that humanity has to offer. But she is still openly laughing at something as small as a swing. “Living in the moment” is not about always feeling joy. Instead, it means acknowledging the emotion you are feeling and trying to make the best of every situation. 

Naomi Osaka’s program to empower girls through sport is a perfect example of “enjoying the journey.” Girls have been discriminated in many athletic activities for most of history. Osaka’s initiative seeks to inspire confidence in girls who may not have it and ensure that they do not forget how far they have come. It is not just in sports where that is true. Doing a hobby or activity that makes one happy is an example of enjoying the journey. Once again, this quote does not mean you must feel joy at all times or you must force an emotion that is not there. The “journey” that Osaka is referring to will inevitably have hardships and setbacks, but it will have joy as well. “Enjoying the journey” means appreciating everything you have gone through and being proud of yourself that you are still standing. Naomi Osaka is a world-renowned tennis champion, so she has definitely faced her share of challenges. That is why when she says she “enjoys the journey”, I know that she doesn’t just mean all the good things life has to offer, she also includes the obstacles and how she overcame them. 

“Living in the moment” is also about finding joy in the small moments of life. These do not have to be expensive hobbies, such as playing an instrument or traveling. Instead, these are the everyday moments that have an impact on you. Small moments such as seeing a sunrise, laughing with your friends at lunchtime, or seeing the stars on a clear night. All of these are examples of everyday joys, and they are different for everyone. While I, an upper-middle-class high school student in the U.S., find a small moment of happiness in taking a nap after school on a Friday, another girl, my age, living in the Gaza Strip, may find a small joy in looking up at the moon and appreciating a quiet night. My point is, everybody has their own struggles, so we can either go through life complaining about our circumstances, or we can learn to find happiness where we can and make do with what we have. 

Naomi Osaka’s quote is true in every situation. From the most war-torn village to living in a mansion in Beverly Hills, humans are wired to find happiness everywhere. In the words of Amanda Gorman, “there is always light, if only you are brave enough to see it.” Living in the moment does not have to apply to a utopian world, because everyone can live in the moment; we just find joy in different things. We can all “enjoy the journey” if we acknowledge that the journey is different for everyone and the journey is not always full og joy. We do not know what tomorrow will look like, but living in the moment helps us keep a positive outlook on life and get through anything. 

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In an interview with People Magazine, renowned tennis player Naomi Osaka discussed the lessons she’s learned and the importance of “living in the moment” and “enjoying the journey.” While these phrases are often seen as clichés or reserved for the privileged, Osaka’s words hold universal truth. Her message applies to everyone—no matter their background, circumstances, or struggles.

Although People Magazine’s audience may be generally well-off, Osaka’s philosophy resonates especially with those facing adversity. In class, we examined a photograph of a young girl laughing on a swing amid the wreckage of a Sudanese refugee camp. The image is powerful because it reveals that even in the direst conditions, joy can still exist. In fact, in moments of uncertainty, living in the present becomes even more vital. The girl may have lost her loved ones and witnessed unimaginable suffering, yet she smiles—finding comfort in something as simple as a swing. “Living in the moment” isn’t about constant joy; it’s about acknowledging one’s emotions and finding meaning in each experience, no matter how painful.

Osaka’s initiative to empower girls through sport is another expression of “enjoying the journey.” Throughout history, girls have faced discrimination and exclusion in athletics. By inspiring confidence and creating opportunities, Osaka reminds them to recognize their progress and value their growth. This mindset extends beyond sports—any pursuit that brings fulfillment embodies the spirit of enjoying the process. To “enjoy the journey” is not to ignore hardship, but to embrace it as part of one’s story. As a world-renowned athlete, Osaka understands that success is built on both triumphs and obstacles. When she speaks of joy, she includes the strength earned from perseverance.

“Living in the moment” also means appreciating life’s small, everyday joys. These do not require wealth or luxury. They may appear in a sunrise, a shared laugh with friends, or a quiet moment beneath a starry sky. For me, an upper-middle-class student in the U.S., happiness might be a Friday afternoon nap after a long week. For a girl my age living in the Gaza Strip, it might be looking up at the moon and savoring a rare moment of peace. Everyone experiences struggle differently, but we all have the power to seek light in small places. We can choose to dwell on what we lack—or to notice what we have.

Ultimately, Naomi Osaka’s message is universal. From a war-torn village to a mansion in Beverly Hills, people can discover meaning and hope in their circumstances. As poet Amanda Gorman reminds us, “There is always light, if only you are brave enough to see it.” Living in the moment does not require perfection; it simply asks us to be present and grateful. Enjoying the journey means recognizing that joy and struggle coexist, and both shape who we become. We cannot predict tomorrow, but by embracing today, we cultivate resilience, gratitude, and peace.

Blattodea

 I am being haunted by a cockroach

Every chair I move,

Every drawer I open,

It is watching me. 

Sometimes scurrying,

sometimes still,

But always there.

I never know what intentions are behind those malicious eyes,

I don't even know what a cockroach's eyes look like,

As I can never view their Medusa-like figures,

Before turning to stone

These evolutionary-resilient and skilled monstrosities,

torment and torture my sense of self, 

and shake me to my core. 

Millions of years of oppression on humankind, 

Such a tiny body, 

Yet such a devastating impact.

My dread of these creatures borders on veneration, 

As in the end, fear itself is uncontrolled admiration. 

sun and rain

 Sun and Rain

I hate the sun

I am a slave to its glare,

My head bowed to its golden crown

I love the rain,

Each crystal droplet washing away my ghosts

Leaving only my glistening face

I hate the rain,

As it pelts ruthlessly against my skin

Bullets ricocheting against a frozen soul,

I love the sun,

He stands like an old friend,

Leading me out of a black-hole nightmare.

The Metamorphosis - an analysis

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka quickly became one of the best works of literature I've ever read. It is a short novella, only about 90 pages long, that tells the story of a young man, Gregor Samsa, who wakes up one day apparently transformed into a roach of some sort. The story does not go into detail about how or why this change occurred, only that it happened. 

The novella is told from the perspective of Gregor Samsa. Gregor is first introduced as a traveling salesman working for a company to pay off an "ancient debt" that his family owed to the company's owners. The story begins with Gregor waking up one morning late for work and with aches all over his body. He does not immediately realize that he has undergone a metamorphosis, instead, he attempts to get up. Interestingly, he does not seem very surprised at his transformation and immediately assesses the situation logically. The way he approaches his dilemma says a lot about Gregor's character throughout the story. He is incredibly work-oriented and the only thing he concerns himself with providing for his family. For the past five years, since an incident that his family had with the owners of his company, Gregor has been working tirelessly to make sure his family has everything they need. Throughout the book, we see Gregor sacrificing and working himself to the brink just to make his family's lives easier. However, as altruistic and kind as Gregor's actions seem, his narrative is written dryly, almost as if he is emotionless. I believe this was done on purpose. 

Franz Kafka, in some of his other writings, tends to be witty, and humourous and seems to make light of bad situations. However, The Metamorphosis, in particular, has a very ominous and impassive writing style. The main character seems to lose hope about his situation quickly and is shown as almost indifferent to what is happening to him. There are few times throughout the story in which we see sparks of emotion from Gregor and even those get less and less frequent. The few examples in which he does show signs of being human usually have to do with his family.  For instance, to prevent his family from being disgusted at the way he looks after the metamorphosis, even though he has no control over it whatsoever, he hides himself under a bedsheet and crams himself under a sofa just to spare his mother and sister the sight of him. 

Gregor's selflessness, to a fault, can also be interpreted as giving up on himself. For the last couple of years, before the metamorphosis took place, Gregor had been consistently putting his own happiness and his needs after his family. One interesting idea that I observed while I was reading was that the entire story seemed to be a metaphor for Gregor's declining mental health. This prompts the idea that a physical "metamorphosis" never actually occurred. 

From the first few paragraphs of the story, it is clear that Gregor has not woken up as he usually has. However, the only evidence of a change occurring overnight is that Gregor describes himself as having a hard shell on his back and small feet. The story does not go into much detail about his physical changes which hints at the fact that this story had a focus on his mental state.

Before the story was set to begin, Gregor already seemed to be in a depressive state. His internal monolouge was incredibily dry to begin with, and he always seemed on the edge of giving up. When his family completely outcasted him, he wasn't disappointed. It was almost as if he had no expections for anyone around him to respect him. He tried to hide himself and the changes that were happening to him from his family as much as he could. This also follows the assumption that the novella is told as a metaphor of depression as it is natural for those with mental conditions to go to great lengths to hide their conditions. This sort of behavior makes sense as the time period this was written in (the early 1900's) shunned those with mental disorders. 

The Metamorphosis ended with Gregor Samsa, while still in his roach-like form, dying after getting incredibly weak and hopeless. In the pages leading up to his death, Gregor's thoughts seemed to get less and less rational as he completely gave up. He saw himself as a useless member of his family who was better off dead. The resolution of the novella, although sad, seemed to fit the story. Gregor was spiraling throughout the story made the end quite forseeable. 

Using a roach what Gregor metamorphosizes into was supposed to signify how he felt like he was a burden or a parasite on his family as time went on. Every detail in the story, from his family members to the setting all seemed to fit the metaphor of how one feels when they are falling into depression. The way Kafka embedded this message in the story made The Metamorphosis a beautiful and thought-provoking read. 

Poem based on the voyager 1

 Voyager 1

Lost on a path,

Set out before it,

Calculated to precision,

The Earth but a speck in the emptiness,

The sun but a twinkle in the dark

Barreling toward the void,

Rushing into the vacuum, 

With its eyes shut,

About to become one with the abyss surrounding it

Time

Time

Time is an illusion - Albert Einstein

We see hazy outlines of 

a future that could have been,

Close enough to touch,

Yet veiled from within.

We gaze wistfully at the past,

Frozen in photographs,

Alive in our minds,

The resounding echo of a laugh.

We live in the present but never experience it,

An infinitesimally small moment,

Always there,

But always gone.

Stars

 Stars:

It's odd how we feel so connected to something so far away,

Yet completely alien to those around us,

Why is it that stars offer more familiarity than the Earth? 

Is it that its light traveled

for millions of years 

to reach your eyes?

Or maybe the way 

you realize things about yourself when looking at them,

that there is power in feeling like nothing,

that there is a gravity in weightlessness,

that not everything in our lives means something,

but a small prick of light in a dark sky,

means everything

to me

Restless: haiku

 Restless

Quieting my mind

is covering fire in wood,

Hoping the flames stop.

Prism

Prism

My mind is a prism.

That reflects my stormy soul,

Everyone sees a different side of

the hurricane

in my head.

After a Hurricane

 The air is strange,

after a hurricane

when the winds howl

fades to a whisper.

the air is heavy with mist and ghosts of raindrops

scattered after ricochetting off the ground

The world is strange after a hurricane,

the sun doesn't beam,

instead, she softly smiles

at every dewdrop

and kisses every iris

and everything is glimmering

And just like that,

the world is alright again.

Thoughts about mushrooms

 Mushrooms

Life begins and ends with death,

The last breath of one is the blossom of another

Pretend: The fate of all of the dolls I have ever played with

 Pretend

Her legs bent slightly,

As I maneuvered her through the dollhouse,

I raised her hand in a wave,

A grin, forever plastered on her face.

I lost my grip on her,

Watching as she toppled to the floor,

Lying motionless until I picked her up again,

I made her sit down for a tea party,

Her expression was stagnant,

Even when I spilled ink on her,

When I chopped her hair short,

When I left her facedown on the ground for days,

When I dismantled her house,

And tossed her in a donation bin,

Her smile never wavered.

Her eyes gazed off in the distance,

Somewhere only she could see,

Hoping that I would pick her up to play again.

I never did.

But what did it matter?

It’s just pretend.

Poem: Auroras - about the solar storm on May 10-12

 Auroras

There it was,

Barely visible against the moon and stars:

the north side of the sky,

Faintly tinged pink and purple,

I was afraid to blink,

Because when I opened my eyes,

It would have all been my imagination.

Reaching out across 94 million miles,

To embrace the Earth,

Trickling down our skies,

In greens, purples, and pinks.

I look up,

And I can’t hear the crickets,

I can’t see the trees,

Nor feel the grass beneath my feet.

It’s just me,

gazing

at a sunset at midnight.

A little short story :)

Timeless

It had been thirty minutes since Audrey had last seen civilization and she was starting to miss it. She had never seen the appeal of hiking. Sure, it was a nice time to ponder the mysteries of the universe and appreciate the natural world. But after about ten minutes, every tree starts looking the same and one begins to realize that the mysteries of the universe are unsolvable by mere mortals. 

After months of planning, Audrey and her friends had been preparing a camping trip in the Alrose Forest. They had signed up for the trip and reserved a camping spot. However, Audrey, being Audrey, had accidentally signed up for a birdwatching camp in the Ambrose Forest and only realized her error once it was too late. 

Who puts two different tours in different places on the same page? She scowled to herself.

Audrey sighed, barely regarding her tour guide babbling on about the wonders of the migratory blue jay. The rest of the tour group whipped out their cameras and oohed and aahed as the bird flapped its wings and crouched, about to burst into flight.

Take me with you, Audrey pleaded.

Instead of flying, the bird turned to the group. And fixed its beady eyes on Audrey. 

She blinked.

It didn’t.

It narrowed its eyes and launched off the tree canopy straight into the crowd of people below. The bird seemed to grow in size as it zoomed toward her. What was once barely a foot tall from a distance enlarged to over the height of a giant man. Cameras were forgotten as the group screamed and dived in different directions. 

“STAY CALM, BIRD ATTACKS ONLY LAST A COUPLE OF MINUTES UNTIL THEY GET BORED,” the tour guide screamed. 

Audrey felt like she was fixated on the ground. Her muscles begged her to run but her feet felt like they were being held down by invisible bonds. She scanned her mind for anything anyone had taught her about how to avoid a rabid bird attack. Unsurprisingly, nothing popped up. 

By now the bird was a few feet away from Audrey’s face. She didn’t know why it was taking so long to fly down but she wasn’t complaining. 

Death by a giant bird. Audrey thought, What a way to go.

She lifted her arms to shield herself and accepted her fate. 

Suddenly, the bird stopped, suspended in midair by flapping its wings just inches from Audrey’s face. Her breathing quickened and her heart was pounding loud enough to start an earthquake. She could feel its malicious eyes X-raying her soul. 

She furrowed her eyebrows, something was wrong. 

Is this normal bird behavior? Audrey thought. 

She felt her eyes start to water and realized that she was subconsciously holding a staring contest with the enlarged blue jay. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she swept her surroundings for the rest of her group. They had vanished. 

Audrey gulped. She was still rooted to the spot 

The bird was incredibly beautiful up close. Its blue plumage seemed to reflect the afternoon sky, there were even wisps of white scattered across its wings, like clouds. Audrey opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. Her hands and legs still felt useless, like sacks of flour hanging off her upper body.  She felt its talons dig into her shoulder and shocks of pain shoot down her arm, her vision swam. The bird opened its beak and everything went dark.

---

Audrey woke up to complete silence. She blinked out the black spots in her vision and glanced around. 

She was still in the Ambrose Forest, in the same clearing she remembered, but the blue jay was nowhere to be found. Audrey saw a shadow fall over some trees. Was it about to rain?

She looked up at the sky and almost passed out again. The afternoon sun was still overhead but the night sky was behind it. It looked like a lightbulb in front of a thick, black blanket. Audrey could faintly see the horizon in the distance that blazed sunset-orange and pink, only, no sun was setting. 

It looked like every time of day was being spattered on the blank canvas of the sky. As she peered closer at the trees, Audrey saw that the trees were completely still. Not a single gust of wind blew, no squirrel raced up the branches. It was ominously quiet, like the calm before a storm. 

Audrey staggered to her feet and assessed herself. The last thing she remembered was being impaled by the talons of a gargantuan bird. She touched her shoulder, bracing herself for at least an array of scratches. 

She felt nothing.

I’m so numb from the pain that I can’t even feel a scar. Audrey thought despairingly. She pulled her shirt over her shoulder and stared in disbelief at the unblemished caramel skin. She scanned the rest of her body for any signs of her scuffle with the avifauna. 

Is this a dream? Audrey thought Or is this what heaven looks like?

Audrey sat up and shakily got to her feet.

She did her best not to glance at the sky again, it was too chaotic and a vivid reminder of the nightmare she was stuck in. 

Audrey glanced at her watch but the hands were paused. She took it off and shook it vigorously, but nothing happened. 

Suddenly it clicked. She looked back up at the sky. The sunset was still glowing even though it should have been dusk by now. The afternoon sun was still high even though she was sure at least a few hours had passed. She noticed a leaf a couple of trees down. It was orange and yellow, even though it was summer. Also, it was suspended midair.

Time, that’s what’s different, Audrey furrowed her eyebrows.

Time doesn’t pass here. 

Audrey gripped a tree to help steady herself as she worked on breathing. She was in a forest, but it was a forest where time didn’t pass. And the sky…

The sky was a reflection of the times of day and night, like an overlapped picture in Photoshop

The trees weren’t moving, no animal was in sight, and everything was utterly silent. Time was paused.

“I’m in a forest of frozen time,” Audrey whispered while pinching herself. 

She giggled, “I’m in a forest of frozen time,” it sounded like a Disney Movie. 

Then, reality came crashing down. Audrey was in an enchanted forest of sorts, with nothing but a backpack, no cell phone, and no way to get home. 

She sat down. 

“I’m in a forest of frozen time,” Audrey groaned, “With no way out.”

She heard a chirping sound behind her. Audrey yelped and turned around. It was a vaguely familiar enlarged blue jay. 

“You,” Audrey said venomously.

“Me!” it exclaimed. 

Audrey felt like she was about to faint for around the fifth time that day.

“Y-y-y-you can s-speak,” she stammered. 

“Better than you,” it replied, “and stop referring to me as ‘it’, that’s incredibly demeaning. My name’s Blu and that’s what you’ll call me.” 

Audrey blinked. 

“Okay…how do I go home?”  Audrey asked, praying for a straightforward answer 

Blu ruffled her feathers, “Oh, you’re stuck here, sweetie.”

Audrey took a deep breath, feeling her impatience rising. 

“How. Do. I. Go. Home?” She enunciated each syllable

“Well...no that wouldn’t work,” Blu shook her head. 

“What?” Audrey demanded. 

“There is a way but you’re much too underprepared for that,” Blu fluffed her feathers self-appreciatively.

Audrey glared, “Try me.”

Blu hummed nonchalantly, “This forest is not exactly normal,” she gestured around.

Oh gee, I hadn’t noticed. Audrey was seriously regretting her life decisions by this point.

“The Ambrose Forest has always been a haven for creatures who don’t fit in any particular time. Creatures like me.” Blu looked down.

“Time exists in a fourth dimension and so does this forest. Time flows in your world but is frozen here. Everyone sees the forest differently. For example, I found this forest in the afternoon so this forest used to look like the afternoon all the time. But my friend found this forest at night, so it would have looked like eternal night to her. “

She’s speaking in the past tense, Audrey noted. 

 “But for the past 14 years, the sky has been like this. I can’t find any other creature in these woods and–,” Blu choked back a sob.

“Whatever it is. You, for some reason, have some sort of control over this forest.” Blu eyed Audrey distastefully. “That’s the reason I brought you here, you may hold the ability to make this forest right again.”

“What do I have to do?” Audrey asked, bracing herself for a quest that would inevitably end in her demise. 

“Oh, not much. Come to think of it, you just have to figure out why the forest is acting up and thus ponder the existence of time itself.”

Audrey gaped at Blu.

“Once you have that answer, you’ll save the forest and everything will return to how it was.” Blu hopped around cheerfully.

“Well, good luck!” Blu lifted one of her wings in a salute and vanished into the night/afternoon/dusk/dawn sky. 

“WHYYYYYYY MEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!” Audrey screamed and kicked an innocent young apple tree. Her foot went right through. 

She frowned and crouched down, her curiosity getting the better of her previous temper tantrum. 

Tentatively, she reached her hand out toward the plant and touched it. 

Before her eyes, the tree dissolved into thin air. Audrey gasped. 

What the heck?

Audrey shook her head, it was probably just another little surprise from the forest that she didn’t have time for. She had more important things to think about. Like the meaning of time. 

Audrey sighed and took notice of her surroundings. She was standing under the shade of a huge ash tree whose roots seemed to extend around 50 feet in every direction. 

I might have a better idea of this forest if I’m higher above the ground, Audrey reasoned. 

The branches looked sturdy enough to support her weight. She shrugged and launched herself to a lower limb of the tree. Audrey continued climbing until she felt her legs start to give away. Using a smaller branch for support, she propped herself onto a bough of the tree. She swung her legs around until she was comfortable and scanned the world beneath her.

The forest went on for miles. The trees ranged from vibrant green, fall colors, and a couple even had some snow sprinkled across them. 

Audrey had never thought about time as anything but a nagging reminder of everything she was losing. Whenever she had less time, she wished for more. When she had time to spare, she wasted it. The cruel fact made her head hurt.

Audrey gazed at the stagnant sunset and then at the stars in the afternoon sky. She had read somewhere that the light from each star traveled for years until it reached our eyes. Every single photon of light is needed to make the star visible like how every moment in time counted to make the bigger picture. 

But what’s the bigger picture?

Audrey vaguely remembered a time in fifth grade when she had written an essay with incredibly advanced vocabulary, with words that Audrey had not learned how to use, to impress her teacher. 

Her teacher had smiled and said, “You have to understand each word to understand the sentence. And each sentence to understand the story.” 

 I have to understand each part of time to understand time. 

From Audrey’s fourteen years of experience in life, she had learned that time was divided into three parts: the past, present, and future. She had also learned that the line between each division was blurred to the point where no one knew when the future began or when the present became the past.

At this point, her head was throbbing. 

Is this what Socrates feels like? 

Audrey felt the aches in her head multiply and wash across her entire body. Her back started to hunch and her hands began shriveling up. 

She didn’t need to look down at her feet to know that, it too, was being covered in wrinkles. Her hair felt a lot lighter on her head as her once-brown hair frayed and turned silver. 

She glanced down at the forest floor. She couldn’t remember why she was there. Something to do with a larger-than-average bird and contemplative questions?

Audrey needed to rest, but for some reason, she had a feeling that if she closed her eyes, she would not open them again. 

This is the future, Audrey deduced. 

Normally, she would be panicking and screaming like an idiot, but Audrey felt a strange sense of calm like there wasn’t a point in worrying about anything. 

But it still felt like the present. The sky was still the mess that it had been moments before, she was still sitting on the same branch of an ash tree. The only difference was her. 

Suddenly, she felt every bone in her body tightening and squeezing. She felt her hair get heavier, her skin getting softer, her excitement growing. 

Audrey didn’t want to sit down! She wanted to climb another hundred feet of this tree. She felt like frolicking around this beautiful forest, maybe she would find a castle and some fairies and they would live happily ever after. 

THIS IS THE PAST!! Audrey thought, beaming with joy. 

Again, the feeling came: her limbs were lengthening, her smile was fading, and she was back to normal. 

She had just gone through her life in less than five minutes. But with every change she went through, Audrey still felt like herself. It was like a dormant side of her had decided to make an appearance. 

Audrey puffed out her cheeks and let out a slow exhale. She felt the answer she needed was just at the edge of her mind, trying to push its way through her mental barriers. 

Ugh, why can’t the universe’s deepest questions be multiple choice or something, Audrey grumbled to herself.

Okay back to contemplation. She started pacing down the bough, balancing on the branch.

I feel like a mixture of my past, present, and future.

All of them layered together to make Audrey who she was. 

But if I feel like my future, that must mean that my future has already happened. Audrey scratched the back of her head; did she just discover time travel?

If my future and my past already happened, that means that the past and the future make up the present… 

That means that the past didn’t happen in the past and the future isn’t yet to come. 

So the division between the past, present, and future isn’t real?

Woah, Audrey, slow down, Audrey told herself. 

If there’s no past, present, or future; then how can time be paused?

How can this forest exist?

Audrey felt an unpleasant tingling sensation down her spine as her train of thought skidded to a stop.

“This forest is an illusion,” Audrey muttered and the ground started to shake. The sky brightened and the sunset and stars disappeared, leaving just the afternoon sun glaring down at her. The trees began to rustle again and familiar forest sounds greeted her ears. Audrey closed her eyes for a moment, relishing the sound of sounds.

When she opened them, she had been transported into the clearing that she woke up in. Audrey wasn’t even surprised at this point.

Is it bad that I’m getting used to magic? She asked herself.

“…these jays are sometimes incredibly protective of their young, looks like this one decided to give us a little surprise!” The voice of her tour guide faded into earshot as Audrey looked around. She had her backpack on and her tour group was still around her, it was as if no time had passed.

Audrey found herself smiling slightly as she learned about the strange migratory path of the sandhill crane.

Time was a mysterious force and she wouldn’t even pretend to know its secrets. Every moment was complex and precious, so she might as well enjoy the time she had.

She looked up at a nearby tree where a blue jay was nesting. 

The jay turned toward Audrey. And she swore the bird winked at her before flying into the afternoon sky.