We can barely see it, but it's always there.

It's a quiet surge building with each passing day - waiting, for just the right moment, to come crashing in.

The potential to rise above everything that's bent on sinking you.

I remember, back years ago, when people would shake their heads, look down and mumble to themselves: "It's ashame what happened to that girl. She had such potential."

I thought I lost it. Like how someone might lose their keys, or their heart ... or maybe their mind.

But, I realized, you can't lose potential, you abandon it. It's not a matter of happenstance - but a choice.

Maybe life was too overwhelming for me. Too real. Maybe I was too scared - or stupid. I didn't want to burden myself with empowerment - I wanted to wallow in weakness. It wasn't very noble of me - but it was a hell of a lot easier.

So, I gave up my potential. Traded my future for a few shots of semi-hard liquor, a handful of bad decisions, and far too many lonely nights.

But, like I said ... you never really lose potential. It's always there - wherever you left it. Waiting to be reclaimed.

I returned to my old neighborhood today. Where I grew up. All the real formative years, anyway.

The entire area has changed -not really for the better - but my house looked exactly the same.

Except smaller. But I guess everything seems bigger than life when you're a kid.

It was an odd feeling because the last time I saw that house - the police were taking me away to be put in foster care.

Now, I was returning, nearly fifteen years later - as an adult. To a place I only remember as a child.

I don't know why I chose today to go back. Today wasn't really any different than any other day.

But I'm glad I did. Because it reminded me of something.

It reminded of where I've come from. Of how high I've risen.

I tend to forget that, I guess. That I have the ability to rise. Despite all the anchors that try to weigh me, still I rise.

Still I rise.

You don't know how far you've climbed until to take a moment to look down.

I knew, right then, right that very second - despite the haze, and the confusion, the fear and the anger ... I found it again. I made my way back. To the place where I abandoned my power.

Somewhere between then and now, I had reclaimed my potential.

In these little baby steps of life: getting through days I thought would never end, enrolling in college when all my friends had already graduated, finding the time to study after a long hard day at a job I hated, making ends meet - barely - praying to god that we could get by one more week, one more class closer to where I'd hope to be ...

All these minute progressions that seemed inconsequential at the time - were little bits of forward momentum.

Like a fireball, steadily I grew stronger and fiercer with passing each day, week, year.

And I didn't even know it.

Go figure.

Potential.

Be careful, the little bugger will sneak up on you when you least expect it.

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