Daily writing prompt

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

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Growth. The thing that happens whether you want it to or not. Like getting taller, but also, like, getting more confused.

At first, life’s a free buffet. You wiggle a finger, everyone cheers. You don’t even need to hold your own head up—someone else does that heavy lifting. Growth is automatic, like your hair growing in all the wrong places.

Then, BAM! Kid time. Walking? Easy. Talking? Fine. Numbers? Why are there so many? Your brain is like a half-eaten pizza. Some slices are there, some are gone, and you don’t know why.

Teenage years, you’re a genius, obviously. Adults? Clueless. Meanwhile, your brain is like a sandwich with half the fillings missing. You just feel wise, like a squirrel hoarding nuts it will forget about.

Then adulthood hits. Life smacks you with the rubber chicken of reality. Bills, decisions, and suddenly, you’re asking, “Why am I a meat bag?” Growth happens, but now it comes with stress and existential questions like, “Is this it?” and “Why does my back crack when I breathe?”

After a while, physical growth stops. You reach the peak and start the gentle roll downhill. First, your knees make weird sounds, like a rusty robot. Then, one day, you wake up injured—did you fight a bear in your sleep? No. You just, like, sat on the couch too intensely.

And then, the rewind button gets hit. You become a potato that needs help. People remind you to eat, and naps become the main event. Your hair starts disappearing from your head but reappearing in your ears. Your belly ignores gravity and expands like it’s got its own agenda. Your teeth start quitting their jobs. Your eyes need glasses so thick they double as magnifying lenses, and your ears need a speakerphone so loud that even the neighbors know your business.

But the funny thing? You stop caring. Life experience smooths out the wrinkles in your soul, even if it adds a few extra ones to your face. Bald head? Less haircuts. Big belly? More space to rest your hands. Missing teeth? Less chewing effort. Thick glasses? Everything looks softer and kinder. And honestly, by this point, you’ve heard enough nonsense in life that not hearing everything clearly isn’t always a bad thing.

So, what experiences helped me grow the most? All of them. The good, the bad, the ridiculous. Growth wasn’t just about learning new things—it was also about forgetting dumb things I once believed, like thinking pineapple on pizza was a good idea. And if life has taught me anything, it’s this:

No one actually knows what they’re doing. We’re all just winging it, like a bird with a broken GPS. Your body will betray you, no matter how well you treat it. It’s like a phone that decides to die at 20% battery.

And the ultimate wisdom? Naps were always the cheat code to life.

So here I am, back where I started. Drooling, napping, and wondering what’s for dinner. Growth? Check. Wisdom? Still pending. But at least now I know—comfortable pants are the real key to happiness.