Danny S.

Photography by Peyton Mears

If you’re reading this, time will move forward.

“Time has no choice but to move forward.” This was something my mom told me when I was going through a very hard time in my life. When I first heard it, it unfortunately fell upon deaf ears. Then time moved forward, and I thought about it later, and it still didn't help. Then again, time moved forward, and it dawned on me again, and it helped just a little. This cycle repeated again and again until eventually I wrote this letter. Right now, so much time has passed that my mom's words carry immeasurable and exponential weight. 

Almost missing my first class of college, being stood up on my first real date, having a meeting with a professor who almost failed me, mistaking the date of my first college interview, and so on. Time has a cruel way of stretching out in these moments, but as much as it tries, it can only stretch so far. I made it to the class, I got ice cream, I barely passed, I rescheduled the interview, and time moved forward. Whether it be a few seconds, or a handful of hours, those moments that make your mind swirl and curdle your stomach will pass. I could never say anything back to my mom when she would share those precious words with me, she would just hug me and repeatedly promise the sincerity of her sentiment. I unfortunately can't give you a hug, but I can give you that promise. So many things in this life seem unpredictable and unreliable, constantly leaving us reeling, hoping to grasp onto something concrete. “Time has no choice but to keep moving forward,” that is concrete. 

I have always been so afraid of failure, and if I'm being honest, I'm still quite scared of it now. But every time I fail, time moves forward. I try again, fail again, and time moves forward. I try again, this time succeeding, and time moves forward, promising more failures and more successes as it marches on. Do not let those dimly lit moments and events in your life blind you from the outstretched road in front of you. I wish I could say that what I wrote is a lesson I have already learned and can easily implement, but as you probably guessed, that is not the case. However, I am certain that time will move forward, and I will be able to learn that lesson again and again until I see it on the road behind me. Your darkest moments do not last forever, whatever moment just came to mind now did not last forever; you have moved forward, you will move forward. I promise.

Danny S., Florida State University

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