Motion Blur

When the subject moves faster than the shutter can close, it is called Motion Blur. The image smears. You lose the definition. You lose the eyes. You lose the soul. All that’s left is a streak of color across the frame.

That was me during the university years.

I convinced myself that momentum was the same thing as progress. I filled my calendar until it choked. Assistant Lecturer. Laboratory Assistant. Researcher. I collected titles like I was running out of time. I moved at light speed because I was terrified that if I slowed down, the 'Void' from the lockdown would catch up to me.

I thought I was building a legacy, but I was just creating a blur.

This is the tragedy of speed: you pass by everything beautiful without seeing it. I passed by relationships. I passed by the 'Star.' I passed by my own mental health. I was moving so fast that I became uncatchable, even to the people who loved me. I looked successful on paper, but if you looked at the photo of my life from those years, you wouldn't see a person. You’d just see a ghost rushing out of the frame to get to the next meeting.