a short story on reclaiming

Through the mundane noise of suburban life, a young girl learns to listen to the simplicity of nature. She learns to escape from the rigid structures that held her ideas of who she should become captive. The older she gets the more her predominantly white, moderately affluent upbringing proves morally challenging for the brown girl, who often finds herself mistaken for a boy. Eventually, she sought to reconnect with her audacity to dream beyond what she was taught. 

After all, her adoptive family could never see past their idea of what she represented to them - a token of their political agenda. She uses the limited landscape of the Metropolitan DC area to find some sense of connection, crafting dishes from wild onions and mud, garnished with pine needles serving as makeshift herbs. Days quickly turned into sticky afternoons as she and her brother passed time at the creek, the only sliver of nature that was available. It was easy to get lost in catching crawdads and unraveling cattails, delicately peeling their velvety brown exterior to scatter the fluffy bits into the creek. Little moments of escape teach  her how to whisper wishes into the wind.  

The first time she was brave enough to dream in her waking life is to become a chef, sketching in her journal ideas for a restaurant called Rigatoni's, stemming from a childhood nickname. Papers filled with names for pasta dishes, infused with the colors of jazz music. Part gallery, part lounge and fueled by fettuccine, it would give a place for people to gather and her to entertain. She attempted to bond with her stepmom over their shared love of food, but on most days, she encountered a hard hand. 

Straying from her religiously motivated family  norms led to trouble and eventually to a behavioral modification facility. Despite hardships, she found solace in the kitchen. Her time away intensified confusion yet broadened her capacity to dream, leading her on a path to unravel learned expectations and seek her true belonging.

Daring to dream feels audacious in a world that champions practicality, where deviating from corporate, spiritual and relational structures risks being misunderstood. Determined to grow new roots, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, selling all her belongings to relocate to the West Coast. Driving across the United States in pursuit of a vague notion of spirituality, her plans stray from their intended course. Forced to relinquish conventional pressures (well, she was fired), she rediscovers her intrinsic values, driven by her love for food and its origins.

She starts to taste the significance of spiritual nourishment - not just as a personal choice, but as a powerful act of resistance against the harms of rapid industrialization on the natural world and the commodification of its wisdom. By immersing herself in off-grid living, forming bonds with local farmers, eating from the land and embracing sustainable practices, she reclaims her connection to the earth and the guidance it provides. The lifelong trials slowly reveal a complicated gift - a journey of empowerment and liberation, using nature as a conduit for personal reclamation. Eventually, the loss of her dad helps her to painfully close a chapter of her life that held her back from exploring who she was all along.  Through years of unlearning and relearning she finds her place in Portland, creating a studio for people to gather so they too can rediscover the beat of their hearts through the things that helped her find belonging - movement, meditation and seasonal gatherings centered around food. 


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