Wandering In A Ghost Town

It's been almost 3 weeks of wandering in this place where I call a ghost town now. Everything seems so unfamiliar. No more familiar faces. No more laughing voices. Children are no longer playing. Adults have gone mad or lonely, or worse, they've gone crazy.

I am still stuck in this place I call a ghost town. I want to leave. No. I want to stay, because at some point, I have loved this place already. It has been my home for the last three weeks. But even if I want to stay, this place that opened its doors for me to build my own identify, seems like it doesn't want me to be here anymore.

I keep wandering. I keep searching for the people who were once there for me in the beginning of this journey. I know they are still there. They are still watching. They still want to see me grow, to become the person I want to be.

Five years ago, I was looking for this small town, where I can freely share my thoughts, my ideas, my stories, my opinions. For five years, I kept searching. I know I wasn't consistent, but deep down in my heart, I knew I was looking for this place. And just three weeks ago, I finally found it. This town let me to be myself. It let me walk freely along the streets, without being scared that someone will judge me if I come out and share this person hiding inside of me, who has been wanting to come out all these years.

She did come out. She was able to show what she has been wanting to show. And that was all made possible because this place that I call a ghost town now, let me. It let me without any restrictions and hesitations. I was happy. I felt loved. I felt appreciated. I felt the warmth and support of this small town to me.

For the last three weeks, I felt so excited to wake up every morning to greet all of these people I come across with in this small town. It was small, but the love and support of the people living in it are bigger than you can imagine. Everyone was busy building their own houses. I myself were also busy building mine.

Everyone in this small time was willing to lend their helping hands to every individual who needed it. In my twenty years of living, it was my first time to see a community so loving, so pure and genuine that I thought I was too late to become a part of it.

But I became a part of it. I am lucky. No. I am blessed because even if I was only here for a short period of time, I met a lot of people whom I feel proud to say that they are my friends now. They are a part of my family that I don't want to lost if I leave this place. They made my stay in this place into a colorful adventure. My stay was full of cupcakes and rainbows. They made my stay full of amazing surprises. My stay might be short, but it was meaningful, and fulfilling.

There were celebrations of small victories, accomplishments and milestones. There were grand events for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. And there were parties exclusively made for the new members of this small community. These amazing people welcomed every person who wanted to be a part of this small town, and embraced them with open arms. And I am happy because I was able to experience these kind of events.

Not only did they celebrate happiness within this small town, but they also acknowledged the mistakes they did in the past. They embraced their flaws and imperfections. They might have learned their lessons through the hard way, but what matters is they learned and moved on. Not only did they celebrate successes, but they also acknowledged all of their problems and trials that they encountered along their way. They accepted the fact that failures were there to make them stronger in life. That is why I am proud to say that I belong and I live in this small town.

Sadly, a disaster wrecked this small town. It wasn't a tornado, or a typhoon that destroyed this colorful place. From being a colorful and happy town, it became dull and lonely. The way I see it, this place has been abandoned by its people.

It is not how it used to be. Just a week ago, it was crowded, and a lot of events are happening in this place. And I can't help but to wonder, where are the people in this community now? Are they gone? Did they transfer to a different place? Have they found their new home? Did they leave just like that without even saying goodbye to this place that accepted them and nurtured them?

But no. It's not really an abandoned town. The people who really love and treasure this place are still there. They are still sharing their stories to the people who are interested to listen to them. They are still watching with each other to grow and become the best version of themselves. They are still there being productive and motivated to make this town a better place for its people.

And just like them, I am also here. I am still here because this place promised me to keep me and never let me go. I am still here because this place gave me warm hugs and kisses, even if I didn't like them before. I am still here because I have a purpose to be here, and the thought of fulfilling that purpose is what keeps me going. I must admit, not being able to see the people I used to see makes me sad, but life must go on.

It doesn't feel the same anymore. I know, it will not go back to how it used to be. But I still have high hopes that this place will be a better place to live in. I have high hopes that one day, living in this small place doesn't feel like wandering in a ghost town anymore.

So if you are still there with me, if you are still holding on to the promise of a better community, let us all grab each other's hand and never let anyone left behind.