And he came to understand that everything he had endured —
the ridicule behind his back, the exclusion, the sense of not belonging, the lies, the betrayal, the loneliness, the bullying, the exploitation, the list was long and endless —
all of it existed as sparks.
Sparks longing to ignite the primal fire within him.The fire meant to burn away the blindfold from his true eyes —a blindfold he had worn for most of his life.
Eyes that had lived and remembered.Eyes that recognized the same fire in others.
That knew it was there.
Because he carried it within himself, and knew that everyone was just as magnificent as he was.
At first, the sparks burned fiercely.
But the longer they glowed, the closer the fire drew.
And then, it ignited once more.
His entire world shifted.
The burning of the bandages he had wrapped around himself was painful.
Excruciating.
Terrifying.
But they were no longer needed —
bandages that had once helped him survive emotions he had not yet learned how to navigate.
They burned slowly, inevitably, and beneath them, a diamond had been forged.
Uncertainty began to feel like excitement rather than anxiety,
as trust once again settled into his being.
Curiosity deepened, and life became an adventure once more.
And so, he returned to being the director, rather than the actor.
He knew what he wanted to do.
What he was meant to do.
He wanted to be there for others.
So they could find their sparks and learn to understand them.
So that, in turn, they could become fuel for the fire that would change — everything.
So that they could love life.
He loved life.
And life loved him.