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Reading the Road Signs: Self Forgiveness + Regret | Ciara Andruski | TEDxYouth@HamberSchool


again meeting certain people saying

again meeting certain people saying stupid things but you didn’t so yourself

people make excuses and I’m here for

people make excuses and I’m here for every single person who has made a

every single person who has made a

every single person who has made a mistake

mistake

mistake who has erred in their judgment I’m here

who has erred in their judgment I’m here

who has erred in their judgment I’m here for the people who have seen the monster

for the people who have seen the monster

for the people who have seen the monster in themselves and taken a punch from it

a self-loathing that hit me hard and

a self-loathing that hit me hard and fast somewhere before greeting that I’m

fast somewhere before greeting that I’m

fast somewhere before greeting that I’m only now starting to shake off I was a

only now starting to shake off I was a

only now starting to shake off I was a friendly and I’m going kid who spent her

friendly and I’m going kid who spent her

friendly and I’m going kid who spent her nights at home alone

nights at home alone

nights at home alone [Music]

[Music]

[Music] was disgusting too loud and too

was disgusting too loud and too

was disgusting too loud and too obnoxious and that I would never be

obnoxious and that I would never be

obnoxious and that I would never be beautiful in the way I wanted to be I

beautiful in the way I wanted to be I

beautiful in the way I wanted to be I think anyone who’s been in that same

think anyone who’s been in that same

think anyone who’s been in that same mental state knows that having someone

mental state knows that having someone

mental state knows that having someone there who understands someone who can

there who understands someone who can

there who understands someone who can your hand so when you can talk to and

your hand so when you can talk to and

your hand so when you can talk to and never feel judged by or mocked or

never feel judged by or mocked or

never feel judged by or mocked or dismissed as a creep someone who will

dismissed as a creep someone who will

dismissed as a creep someone who will keep yourself well being a secret and

keep yourself well being a secret and

keep yourself well being a secret and never use it against you

never use it against you

never use it against you I met someone my first few months at

I met someone my first few months at

I met someone my first few months at Hamburg who was that for convenience

Hamburg who was that for convenience

Hamburg who was that for convenience acts I became best friends

acts I became best friends

acts I became best friends we opened up to each other to each other

we opened up to each other to each other

we opened up to each other to each other about the pain you were both struggling

about the pain you were both struggling

about the pain you were both struggling with inside of us it was the basic

with inside of us it was the basic

with inside of us it was the basic foundation of our friendship the hatred

foundation of our friendship the hatred

foundation of our friendship the hatred that we felt about ourselves it was all

that we felt about ourselves it was all

that we felt about ourselves it was all we talked about the only real thing that

we talked about the only real thing that

we talked about the only real thing that we had in common

we had in common

we had in common we were two deeply unhappy people who

we were two deeply unhappy people who

we were two deeply unhappy people who fed off of each other’s unhappiness we

fed off of each other’s unhappiness we

fed off of each other’s unhappiness we became best friends to the point where

became best friends to the point where

became best friends to the point where we were inseparable because there was

we were inseparable because there was

we were inseparable because there was some sort of strange happiness in our

satisfaction our friendship was never if

satisfaction our friendship was never if one had something awful to say about

one had something awful to say about

one had something awful to say about themselves the other

a toxic one one that will destroy both

a toxic one one that will destroy both parties quickly and messily we were

parties quickly and messily we were

parties quickly and messily we were obsessed with ourselves and our

obsessed with ourselves and our

obsessed with ourselves and our self-hatred and in turn we became

self-hatred and in turn we became

self-hatred and in turn we became obsessed with each other we became each

obsessed with each other we became each

obsessed with each other we became each other’s holy titles our codependency

other’s holy titles our codependency

other’s holy titles our codependency taking over our lives the bubble that we

taking over our lives the bubble that we

taking over our lives the bubble that we had built together or that we were

had built together or that we were

had built together or that we were trying to swim across an ocean my

trying to swim across an ocean my

trying to swim across an ocean my parents told me to severed the

parents told me to severed the

parents told me to severed the relationship and they put me in a I made

relationship and they put me in a I made

relationship and they put me in a I made a choice one that I called selfish I

chose to give up not myself but on to

chose to give up not myself but on to save myself so I ghost attacks

I just left I abandoned X in the dark

I just left I abandoned X in the dark time in both our lives

time in both our lives

time in both our lives I knew X was suicidal I knew intimately

I knew X was suicidal I knew intimately

I knew X was suicidal I knew intimately the struggle of X was going through I

the struggle of X was going through I

the struggle of X was going through I had been in it with emotionally embraced

had been in it with emotionally embraced

had been in it with emotionally embraced it but now I was too scared for myself

I work dangerous and safe situations and

I work dangerous and safe situations and yet I have never felt like I held when

yet I have never felt like I held when

yet I have never felt like I held when suicide attacks I believed it was myself

suicide attacks I believed it was myself

suicide attacks I believed it was myself for the state that X was in I was being

for the state that X was in I was being

for the state that X was in I was being selfish hurting them in a way that they

selfish hurting them in a way that they

selfish hurting them in a way that they didn’t deserve to be I was betraying

didn’t deserve to be I was betraying

didn’t deserve to be I was betraying everything that we had promised to each

everything that we had promised to each

everything that we had promised to each other

other

other the school year ended with me stressed

the school year ended with me stressed

the school year ended with me stressed guilty and still deeply I spent months

guilty and still deeply I spent months

guilty and still deeply I spent months trying to figure out how to just forget

trying to figure out how to just forget

trying to figure out how to just forget the whole event I was told by people who

the whole event I was told by people who

the whole event I was told by people who had heard the story that X was the

had heard the story that X was the

had heard the story that X was the monster an emotionally manipulative

monster an emotionally manipulative

monster an emotionally manipulative assailant and that I was the victim how

assailant and that I was the victim how

assailant and that I was the victim how it was supposed to recover from the

it was supposed to recover from the

it was supposed to recover from the stars that X helped to inflict but but I

stars that X helped to inflict but but I

stars that X helped to inflict but but I knew how how it really was I should have

knew how how it really was I should have

knew how how it really was I should have been better for X should have taken

been better for X should have taken

been better for X should have taken better care of both of us I should have

better care of both of us I should have

better care of both of us I should have spoken up sooner

spoken up sooner

spoken up sooner not letting get to the place that did I

not letting get to the place that did I

not letting get to the place that did I should have stood up for myself to

should have stood up for myself to

should have stood up for myself to convince both of us

convince both of us

convince both of us to choose another road but it gets to

to choose another road but it gets to

to choose another road but it gets to the point where school counselors I do

that’s forward four years that thirteen

that’s forward four years that thirteen year old kid who I am however someone

year old kid who I am however someone

year old kid who I am however someone who spends a lot of time thinking about

who spends a lot of time thinking about

who spends a lot of time thinking about what I could have done how I could have

what I could have done how I could have

what I could have done how I could have made things better dealt with the

made things better dealt with the

made things better dealt with the situation’s better it feels like I could

situation’s better it feels like I could

situation’s better it feels like I could barely live with the choices I made but

barely live with the choices I made but

barely live with the choices I made but if I had the chance to do it again the

if I had the chance to do it again the

if I had the chance to do it again the question really is friendship get to the

question really is friendship get to the

question really is friendship get to the point it did would we be better off or

point it did would we be better off or

point it did would we be better off or worse

[Music]

[Music] or just push them off the edge we all

or just push them off the edge we all

or just push them off the edge we all have crossroads in our lives

have crossroads in our lives

have crossroads in our lives mistakes that we made that define us for

mistakes that we made that define us for

mistakes that we made that define us for the rest of our lives

the rest of our lives

the rest of our lives because we let them to turn left or

because we let them to turn left or

because we let them to turn left or right to make the right choice or the

right to make the right choice or the

right to make the right choice or the wrong one and when we make the wrong one

wrong one and when we make the wrong one

wrong one and when we make the wrong one because we will move on picking up the

because we will move on picking up the

because we will move on picking up the pieces after that gradient year was

pieces after that gradient year was

pieces after that gradient year was tough X was never successful in their

tough X was never successful in their

tough X was never successful in their suicide attempts but I still counting

suicide attempts but I still counting

suicide attempts but I still counting those speeding past you forgiveness is

those speeding past you forgiveness is

those speeding past you forgiveness is it’s nice crying and cursing you made a

it’s nice crying and cursing you made a

it’s nice crying and cursing you made a choice you turn left

choice you turn left

choice you turn left [Music]

like my life pause there and every day

like my life pause there and every day after has been a coma dream but it’s

after has been a coma dream but it’s

after has been a coma dream but it’s when I tell the story my exhale I let go

when I tell the story my exhale I let go

when I tell the story my exhale I let go of it some days I think about that time

of it some days I think about that time

of it some days I think about that time in my life some days I look at the

in my life some days I look at the

in my life some days I look at the mirror and I see a beautiful girl with

mirror and I see a beautiful girl with

mirror and I see a beautiful girl with light in her eyes and I forgive her I

light in her eyes and I forgive her I

light in her eyes and I forgive her I want to tell you something right now

want to tell you something right now

want to tell you something right now you deserve forgiveness whatever

you deserve forgiveness whatever

you deserve forgiveness whatever mistakes you made whoever you hurt

mistakes you made whoever you hurt

mistakes you made whoever you hurt whatever you did they were meant

whatever you did they were meant

whatever you did they were meant clichè the roads we take the cars we

clichè the roads we take the cars we

clichè the roads we take the cars we have in place they lead us to the people

have in place they lead us to the people

have in place they lead us to the people we are destined to be whichever

we are destined to be whichever

we are destined to be whichever direction you go left right or down

direction you go left right or down

direction you go left right or down we’ll take you to your final destination

we’ll take you to your final destination

we’ll take you to your final destination sometime soon I want you to look into

sometime soon I want you to look into

sometime soon I want you to look into that veneer I want you to look into that

that veneer I want you to look into that

that veneer I want you to look into that mirror and I want you to see exactly

mirror and I want you to see exactly

mirror and I want you to see exactly what I see someone beautiful who

what I see someone beautiful who

what I see someone beautiful who deserves forgiveness without the choices

deserves forgiveness without the choices

deserves forgiveness without the choices that led me to them I think

[Music]

[Music] I was to the

yes we deserve forgiveness every day do

yes we deserve forgiveness every day do not let the choices of yesterday stop

not let the choices of yesterday stop

not let the choices of yesterday stop you from reaching tomorrow let them

you from reaching tomorrow let them

you from reaching tomorrow let them carry you our battered suitcases were

carry you our battered suitcases were

carry you our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk

piled on the sidewalk

piled on the sidewalk we have longer ways

”

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