Off the Cuff's 19th Issue: Rhythms of a Rebirth

An editorial published as part of Off the Cuff Magazine's 19th Issue, Transcendence. This piece followed the theme of the Renaissance. 

Nine years old, fairly new to the world, my feet were ripped from the grounds of the place I called home and were planted onto new terrain. This unfamiliar land was both alien and alluring, beckoning me to explore its mysteries. 

When a newborn emerges into the world, they’re greeted by a symphony of new colors, sounds, and textures. They must learn to navigate this otherworldly realm. Ultimately, they undergo a journey of renewal. A journey to understand the intricacies of emotion, to decode the mysteries of human life, and to harmonize with their new landscape. Moving to a new country, with a heart attuned to the rhythms of a different life, I entered a realm beyond my wildest imagination. I embarked on a journey of renewal. Who am I in this new world? How shall I be defined? 

This new American journey entailed rebirth and rejuvenation. Adaptation, transformation, and acclimation of new social norms are enterprises of both the Renaissance and immigration; immigrants and ancient scholars alike endeavor to discover the beauty of new worlds. 

As I meander through the corners of my brain, I encounter theorists analyzing the intricacies of this new land. In another corner, a group of artists, surrounded by a canvas, are painting an image of my new home, imprinting a beautified photograph within the wires of my brain.

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and it all quickly melted into a decade. I’ve savored the flavors of exotic foods and reveled in unfamiliar customs. I’ve become one with my new world. Calling it ‘new’ is no longer applicable; in my world. 

In this decade, the earth moved on its axis, steady and ever-moving. Time conspired against the distance laying between my home country and me. The longer I basked in this new terrain, the less discernible my old home became; time is a measurement of distance; the ideologies, personalities, and words I’ve encountered left an indelible impression on me; the attachment of the old suddenly weakened, and my growth quickly transpired. 

I have not shed the older version of me, rather, I’ve enlightened her. 

My spirit has intertwined with new ideas and perspectives, my vision and wonder have widened, and my identity has shapeshifted; the older me and the new me have married to form a multi-hued tapestry of myself. 

The Renaissance was an epoch of human enlightenment. Though this era has come and gone and left its mark, my soul and mind remain in a perpetual state of a Renaissance. This life, whether it’s lived on old or new terrains, is an endless cycle of transformation and renewal. I’m forever entranced by the infinite possibilities of this world.