Sahil Manzoor
In an age when our hearts brimmed with boundless aspirations, life felt like a divine gift from Allah (SWT). Each person perceives existence through a unique lens, shaped by time and experience. The past evokes nostalgia, the present demands resilience, and the future remains a tantalizing enigma. Our lives intertwine with the environment—air, water, soil—not merely as scientific necessities but as poetic threads weaving meaning into our days.
Science confirms this connection: air sustains breath, water nourishes cells, and soil anchors growth. Yet, for those with a poetic soul, these elements transcend utility. “The breeze,” a dreamer might muse, “caresses my cheek, whispering memories of a loved one’s silken hair.” Water becomes a mirror reflecting lost voices, while trees murmur questions about absent companions. These musings, though romantic, echo a universal truth: our surroundings shape our emotions as much as our survival.
Life’s kaleidoscope reveals diverse perspectives. Some embrace mischief, others gravitate toward solemnity. Some seek adventure in winding roads, while others find solace in the pages of a book. Some renounce worldly desires, pursuing spiritual clarity, while others navigate life through scientific inquiry or political fervor. And then, there are those who fall in love—unplanned, unguarded, and often with strangers.
Why do we love without knowing another’s heart? Love, in its purest form, is instinctive. It transcends prejudice, blooming in those who approach life with kindness. Psychologists describe love as a neurochemical cascade—dopamine and oxytocin flooding the brain, creating euphoria akin to possessing the world. It dissolves hatred, fosters generosity, and elevates the spirit to a realm where possibilities seem infinite. Love, simply put, is transformative.
Reflecting on my youth, I recall a circle of friends whose presence defined my school and college years. A handful left an indelible mark—kindred spirits whose laughter and dreams I carry still. We gathered on a single bench, our sanctuary for over five years. There, we spun visions of the future, debated life’s mysteries, and celebrated its fleeting joys. That bench, weathered by time, became a monument to our shared hopes.
Today, passing by, I feel its silent call: “Hey, friend, how’s life? Will you sit tonight and dream anew?” In my heart, I answer, “Those days are gone, but their echoes linger. Only now, I sit alone.” The scene feels emptier, like a playground abandoned at dusk. Once, strangers strolled nearby, their soft words and faint floral scents drifting through the air. Now, the bench holds only memories—love, laughter, and the weight of time.
Time, the unyielding architect of fate, shapes our journey. It carries us from childhood’s wonder to adulthood’s trials and, inevitably, to life’s final chapter. Philosophers like Augustine of Hippo have long grappled with time’s nature, calling it a paradox—measurable yet intangible. Modern physics agrees: time flows forward, irreversible, governed by entropy. We cannot reclaim the past, but we can cherish its lessons and the moments that defined us.
That bench, a silent witness to my youth, symbolizes more than nostalgia. It reminds me that while moments fade, their impact endures. Studies on memory, like those by neuroscientist Elizabeth Kensinger, show that emotionally charged experiences—like those shared with friends—embed deeply in our minds, shaping our identity. I cannot recreate those exact days, but I can honor them by living with the same openness and kindness we once shared.
Life’s diversity—its poets, scientists, dreamers, and lovers—enriches our world. Environmental science underscores our dependence on nature, while psychology illuminates love’s power to transform. Time, however, remains the ultimate arbiter, urging us to savor the present while it lasts. As I walk past that bench, I’m reminded that though the faces have changed, the dreams we wove there live on.
In 750 words, this reflection captures the essence of a universal experience: the interplay of memory, environment, and time. The bench of my youth may stand empty, but it holds a timeless truth: life’s beauty lies in its fleeting moments and the connections we forge along the way. Let us cherish them, for time waits for no one.
