Chosen Topic:
Change is like a river, as life goes on
Student-inmate studying for a diploma from institution TM1
Consolation Prize
As an ex-convict with drug-related cases, I have learned first-hand that change is like a river. It ebbs and flows, constantly moving forward and can be difficult to navigate at times. However, like a river, change also has the poorer to transform and renew, bringing new life and opportunities. For years, my life was stagnant, frozen in a cycle of addiction and crime I was trapped, unable to unable to make any real progress. When I was finally released from prison, I knew that I had to embrace change if I was ever going to turn life around.
At first, change was slow, like a gentle stream tricking through the rocks. I started small, taking baby steps to rebuild my life. I enrolled in a rehabilitation programme, began attending religious Support groups, and slowly started to rebuild my relationship with my family and friends. As time went on, the river of change began to gain momentum. I found work, started to save some money, and began to dream of a brighter future. I knew that I still had a long way to go, but I was determined to keep moving forward, no matter how difficult the journey might be.
Nevertheless, the river of change can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. There were times that I stumbled and felt that I was going to be swept away by the currents. However, I knew that it was in those moments of struggle that I needed to be the most resilient, to fight the hardest to stay afloat. Slowly but surely, the river of change began to carve out a new path for me. I started to see the world in a different light to appreciate the small things that I had taken for granted before - the warm sun on my face, the sound of birds chirping, the feeling of clean cloth on my skin. These were the things that I forgotten in the midst of my addiction and crime. The river of change had transformed me, renewed my spirit, and gave me a new lease of life. While I know that journey will never truly be over, I am proud of how far I have come.
Looking back of my life, I realised now that change was always there, like a river flowing beneath the surface. It was up to me to embrace it and to let it carry me forward, even when the current was strong and the path was unclear. Change is a like a river, always moving forward, always renewing, always bringing new life and opportunities. Moreover, like a river, it can be difficult to navigate at times. If we are willing to embrace it, to let it carry us forward, then change can transform us in ways we never thought possible.
As an ex-convict with drug-related cases, I have seen and experienced the power of change, and I am grateful for every moment of it. For the first time in years, I feel like I am truly alive, like I have a purpose and a reason to keep moving forward. If I continue to embrace the river of change, to trust in its power and capabilities, it will carry me forward to a brighter tomorrow.