For some, their passion is to be found in a laboratory. For others, the thrill of discovery can only be found on the open sea. But for me, my love is being discovered in nature's own laboratories by exploring its bounty with both hands and heart. It's all about taking chances- whether it's an experiment or just living life fully according to your own terms.
I was born with brown eyes but never wanted them again after I saw how green they could turn when reflecting off the leaves around me on cool October mornings as I walked through them barefoot at six years old. My first kiss came not from a boy but from one of those leaves that blew against my cheek as I leaned over a creek half-listening to a friend talk about a dream she had had, and I was disappointed when my father called me in for lunch.
And as I grew older those eyes changed from brown to green so frequently that the only people who could really keep track of their color were myself and those who stared deeply into them- which is something I find so strange now because the eyes are windows to the soul, but how can someone get so close to you that they see where the light comes from? I never kept track of them like that; perhaps it was because if I did, then what would remain a mystery? The eyes were one thing in our world that remained constant; always green, even when the leaves around me weren't.
That was one of the first times I remember lying- well, not lying so much as exaggerating. That was how my mother explained it to me afterward when she realized that I had painted a false memory to try and protect them from something that wasn't even mine. And perhaps that is why I never learned what true love felt like because I was always trying to protect those around me from everything that would hurt them.
I never wanted to learn what true love felt like. It was so much more convenient for me to keep everyone at a distance and avoid the heartache of losing someone you care about, even if it meant denying myself a chance to love them back- or as hard as I could. It was always the easiest way, though at some point you realize that there is no passion in being safe and easy- there's no beauty in a life lived without risk.
All of my greatest accomplishments have come from trying to protect myself from something else: a broken heart, a failed experiment, an empty stomach, or a life without passion. But what came from them was way better than safety could have ever offered me. I may not have found true love but the changing colors of my eyes will always remind me of that October afternoon when I saw myself in a stranger's face for the first time, and it taught me how to be brave- even if it wasn't exactly the way I had originally planned it.
The moral of the story is to never let fear stop you from doing what you really want to do. Instead, use your passion as a guide and keep trying new things until you find something that makes you happy. The best way to find out if something is worth your time or not is to try it.