Snap, snap, snap. That is the sound of a camera, or rather, my Canon PowerShot SX740 HS Digital Camera. This little piece of tech has been sitting on top of my dresser for days, weeks, and years—3 years to be exact. With a little bump, three years’ worth of memories were splattered across the floor, only to be swept away by a broom and thrown away; a once-clean and neat camera is now shattered and broken. To my beloved camera, who taught me unique life lessons in ways that you readers may not comprehend but that I can show you via my lens.
I hated being controlled by my parents and was nothing but clay to them, molded by their dreams and aspirations. When I was little, I was a complete brat who knew nothing but trouble, but for a good reason. It broke me; it made me carless, and I thought everything would fall into place if I lived the way I did, or so I thought.
At the time, I thought I wasn’t doing anything wrong and lived my life like I’m supposed to, but I was faced with consequences for my actions, which riled me up to become worse and worse.On the night of my birthday, all my relatives and family members joined together to celebrate the lovely evening. I, on the other hand, was tucked away from everybody’s gaze, annoyed and slothful. Everybody was looking for me, door to door, shouting, “Salman! The cake is ready,” they said. I hated being around people who caused my anxiety because of the number of times I was grounded and wasn’t allowed to go out.
I caused a scene by not coming outside my room, enraging my parents, which was satisfactory at the time.Looking back, it felt wrong to deny my parents’ efforts or to isolate myself from my siblings; I had no idea how much they appreciated me even after my wrongdoings and how much I would rely on them to complete even the most basic of tasks.
My mom wakes me up every day, so I don’t miss school; or my dad helps me arrange appointments, so I am on time; or both of my old sisters disguise themselves as therapists and offer me advice and pretend like they’re my friends, so I don’t lose hope when needed. As a result, I wake up every morning without needing anyone’s help, make appointments without anyone’s help, and turn strangers into friends rather than turning a blind eye. I was able to grow into a full-grown flower that can live on its own.
