In the Brief Years of Our Youth

In the brief years of our youth

There is a fleeting magic to youth that no one quite prepares you for. It arrives without warning, burns brightly, and disappears just as quickly. In the moment, it feels endless — full of bold decisions, missteps, new beginnings, and friendships that seem unbreakable. But in truth, these years pass like breath on a windowpane, visible only for a moment before they fade.

In the brief years of our youth, a lucky few of us had the chance to experience the excitement of freedom and adventure. Those special times, when the world was full of endless possibilities, were a gift that helped shape who we are. For many of us, the idea of being trapped in the rules and expectations of society just didn’t feel right. Our experiences gave us the drive to follow our own paths and make our own choices.

We learned to imagine the life we wanted, to dream big, and to see the world as a place to make those dreams come true. With this sense of purpose, we set out to do things that seemed impossible, to push ourselves and discover just how much we could achieve. Those early years shaped the rest of my life, giving me a restless spirit and a determination to live every moment fully.

The Recklessness That Teaches

One of the hallmarks of youth is a kind of reckless optimism. We make choices we wouldn’t dream of making later in life, and often, they come at a cost. But from those messy, uncertain chapters, we learn. Not always right away, and not always gracefully, but the lessons linger. We learn about heartbreak, about loyalty, about the way time changes people. We learn what it means to fail, and how to stand again after falling.

It is in these years that we first understand the weight of our own decisions — not through textbooks, but through lived experience. The sting of regret, the thrill of spontaneity, the joy of small victories. And perhaps most importantly, the dawning realisation that the world is far more complex than we first imagined.

Friendships That Shape Us

If you ask someone to tell you about their youth, they will almost always talk about people. Friends who felt like family. Late-night conversations. Shared secrets and fragile promises. We believed we would never drift apart — and for a while, we didn’t. But time, as it always does, moves us on.

Still, there’s something powerful about the friendships forged in those years. They saw us at our most unformed, our most unsure. And even when they fade, they leave their mark. They helped define who we were becoming.

The Many Paths We Took

As the years go by, I often think back on the different paths taken by those of us lucky enough to have lived through such a transformative time. The choices I made, the challenges I faced, and the victories I celebrated have all shaped this amazing life. They are a reminder of the strength and flexibility we gained during those years of freedom and growth.

Sometimes, I wonder about the people I’ve met along the way — the quiet survivors who are still here, watching the world change. Where have they gone? What stories do they have to tell?

Each of us carried something forward from those brief years. Not just memories, but a certain hunger — to live fully, to keep seeking, to resist the pull of complacency. While others settled, some of us kept moving, carried forward by that early spark, still curious, still questioning.

Time Moves Differently Then

There’s a strange elasticity to time when we’re young. A summer holiday feels like a lifetime. A school year feels like a saga. And yet, when we look back, the entire period seems to have passed in a blink.

Perhaps it’s because so much is happening at once. We are constantly changing — physically, emotionally, socially. We’re learning who we are outside of our families, outside of what we’ve been told. Every week brings something new — a part-time job, a big argument, a first taste of independence.

We begin to understand that the world isn’t laid out neatly. That success can be messy. That truth isn’t always found in textbooks, but in long talks with strangers, in missed trains, in uncomfortable choices that somehow feel right.

A Life Far From Home

Now, I live in the Philippines, a beautiful tropical country, with over 7,000 islands to explore, that feels far from the familiar places of Europe. The abundant green forests and lively culture make it feel like a new world. The Philippines has become my home, a place where I can step back from the busy life I used to know.

Here, with the peaceful rhythm of provincial life, I find the time to reflect on the journey that has brought me to this corner of the earth. Because in these untold stories, there’s a true picture of what it means to be human — a mix of joy, sadness, success, and loss, all coming together in the fabric of our shared lives.

There’s something about distance — both geographical and emotional — that gives clarity. Living far from the noise of the places I once called home has helped me recognise the threads that connect it all. The fears, the dreams, the choices. The lessons that youth gave me — to question, to reach further, to live deeply — still guide me now.

The Digital Mirror

Today’s youth live a very different kind of freedom. The world is still full of possibilities, but there’s a camera around every corner. Social media means that every mistake, every triumph, every version of oneself is stored, shared, and compared. The pressure to perform, to curate, to compete — it’s relentless.

And yet, the spirit of youth endures. Young people today still fall in love, still dream big, still rebel, still discover who they are through music, art, friendship, and failure. The tools may have changed, but the questions remain the same.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

It’s easy to see youth as a golden age, but nostalgia is selective. It blurs the hard parts, softens the memories. Still, there’s no denying the power of those early years — how they shape the way we see ourselves, how they plant seeds that grow for decades.

So, to those still in the thick of it: take your time, but live with intent. Your mistakes will teach you. Your triumphs will sustain you. Be bold, be kind, be curious.

And to those of us looking back from further down the road: honour those years, but don’t be trapped by them. Keep learning. Keep changing. The spirit that lit up your youth still burns, if you let it.

In the brief years of our youth, we touched a kind of truth. Not the truth written in books, but the one that lives in moments — in laughter, in longing, in the wide open unknown. It may have passed quickly, but it echoes through everything that follows.

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