My New Beginning

Leaving one place for another was never easy for me, but I should be happy this time. This is the start of my adulthood, my independence, I’m going to college tomorrow. My parents moved me around my entire life, a U.S Marine Corp father and a hippy dippy English teacher for a mother kept me from ever truly finding comfort in the constant. I moved homes everytime dad was stationed somewhere different and I moved schools everytime my mother felt like I wasn’t learning enough. We finally settled here in a ranch style home in Raleigh , North Carolina. It ain’t much but it’s been ours for a little over two years now. My father retired a three star general and my mother well, she’s my homeschool teacher. She teaches me for 5 hours a day along with a few other children whose parents don’t trust this “good for nothing school system” , their words not mine. We’ve taken the testing needed to move up and I believe my mother took care of her part, seeing as though we all received college acceptance, well except the neighbors’ boy Riley who wants to take on his family's towing business. I don’t think I’d be a very good businessman, too many little decisions that affect big life matters.

I should really start thinking about what I want my major to be. What a time to think on such a deep matter when I should be asleep. It’s 5 am, I woke up at 4:30 to use the bathroom and I’ve been awake since. “Darius, get out of your head. You’re gonna be fine.” at least that’s what I keep trying to tell myself. You are not the shy, insecure, asocial kid you were two years ago. You’ve grown, made friends, worked a summer job, even had your first kiss so why does it feel like I’m walking for the first time. As I sit on the ledge of my window I notice a bird perched on the tree right outside. I’ve watched a few documentaries about this one in particular, a barn owl I believe it’s called.

In person it was odd looking yet beautiful. Almost human like and in my almost three years here I’d never seen one like it. I closed my eyes to let out a deep breath and upon opening my eyes I saw what seemed to be the owl staring at me. Could it sense my anxiety about my pending future. I cracked my window to feel the warm August air. His crisp white neck bent and his bold seemingly black eyes still fixated on me. This animal has me all figured out. While I couldn’t even tell you what classes I plan to take this semester, well besides statistics due to finding out it is a required course. Numbers were never my strong suit, another reason I would make a terrible businessman. “Darius, don’t think anymore, just breathe.” I say to myself. I looked up and this time I looked back at the owl just as he looked at me. I took a deep breath and strangely it was as if he was breathing with me.

Suddenly, a wave of calm came over me. I felt myself preparing to yawn, was this owl magic? But this wasn’t a teen wizard novel and I’m not going off to Hogwarts in the morning. This was real life. Before I could see him leave, I looked up from my yawning and he was gone. Convincing myself the connection there was all in my head. 5:30 am the clock read, as I slothed my way back into the cooling sheets of my bed and back to sleep before the sun could rise on my new beginning.