Finding - a digital story by Darius Gray
Darius gives the story from his point of view, first person. He walks the viewer through a life transformed by sometimes random chance and sometimes personal decision. The question facing Darius is truly whether or not to remain sober, get help for his depression, and pursue a life he finds is worth living. Although Darius is still "finding: himself he has made great strides in his sobriety and life goals. Instead of continuing down the road of addiction, he has opted to join a 12-step program and take the advice of a random lady & go to college. He may not be completely transformed to his liking, but he is in the process of finding out what his life really is worth. I have often been faulted for sharing too much information, but here we go anyway: My life has been similar to that of Darius. I, too, suffered from depression which lead to drug and alcohol experimentation. I, too, did not know where my life was heading. Although I did find some solace in friendships and writing poetry, like Darius, it was not until I immersed myself in education and community (which for me was my family I had become so isolated and detached from). I, too, never thought I could attend college. I, too, took the advice of a random acquaintance. Although I did not find a voice in my community, as Darius has, i have found my voice within my family, and to me, that is the community I most yearn to belong in; it is my most important community. Darius' story really struck a chord with me because of our similarities in losing our way and finding an alternate route from what we had at first prescribed ourselves doomed to pursue. We both took chances and made decisions that made our lives better, although we didn't have to; we both could have stayed on that friend's couch, in that dank basement of despair, rendering our lives unworthy. Instead we chose to continue finding . . .
Shannon, first I want to thank you for sharing your own personal story. Sometimes we can feel very isolated when it comes to our personal battles and it is amazing to me that we can run across unexpected feelings of comradery from a stranger in a video.
ReplyDeleteWhile I found both the video and your story emotional and inspiring, in trying to answer the question what I learned from this video, I was at a loss. My initial reaction is that I didn't learn anything new, not in the traditional sense. Yet through this post, I've learned of two individuals with two separate but similar struggles, who decided to set on a different path. What stands out for me, isn't only that you both overcame hardship, but that found your voices and a role among others. I think that is a lesson that is universal; we're each attempting to find our own identity and how that identity fits into our various worlds (family, work, or community).