Journey of Isolation

When I was younger and still figuring myself out, it was a struggle understanding others, let alone myself. Once I knew who I thought I was, I was told by someone else who I was, or who I should be. It was a confusing place to be. I was on a journey to find myself, all the while there were voices along the way telling me who I was, and who I was not. That journey taught me how to keep people at arms length without getting too close. People would say, no Ryan, this is who you are. Others would say, yes Ryan, that is who you are. Even I couldn't find who I was, amid projections from others about who they thought I was. But, deep inside, I knew who I was. I was a boy without labels, a boy I knew as myself, even when no one else seemed to understand who I was. I soon found that I needed to take that journey alone, without the voices of those around me. A journey of isolation, alone, to find who I truly was. And it was only after being alone that I discovered who I truly was.