Kevin - 46

We all have stories in which we are the main character.

When I tell myself the story about my life it would begin with a young man who didn’t know what he wanted to be when he grew up. I ended up pursuing studies in English Literature. The story is pretty typical until my final year of studies. During one semester I suffered a mental breakdown and was unable to complete school.

A mental breakdown could mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For me, it interrupted my life’s journey for many years. But that’s the problem of seeing my life as a story or a quest in which I was the protagonist. When I had a breakdown I came to understand it, not at a plot point, but as a character flaw: something to internalize.

But now I recognize this is just one perspective and I needed to change my perspective to allow self-esteem and to be able to experience failures as events, not flaws. That perspective didn’t come from literature, I had to turn away from seeing my life as a narrative I was creating. The resolution came in understanding my life as a series of moments. A series of moments I want to be present for. Just as I was present for those dark moments learning something I couldn’t be taught in school.

Music - Kevin’s music choices during our photo session included, Arkells, The Doors, Boogie Down Productions, Arcade Fire, Violent Femmes, PJ Harvey, and The Cure.