Home: a monologue

a very short monologue about leaving home and entering adulthood.

Hey, you. Yeah, you. You from the small town you call home. Listen. You may feel content right about now. You may feel comfortable and you may think you're happy. I'm not going to tell you you're wrong. You could be absolutely right. But one day, my friend, you're going to have to leave this tiny town. You're going to realize there's nothing here for you if you intend to make it big in the world. And that doesn't mean you should pack your bags right this instant and set out to live your dreams, hell no. Not yet, at least. 

You know, someday you have to leave the safety and the comfort of this place. You have to take a chance, take some risks. Say yes to trying new things (but not drugs. Say no to drugs.). For the love of all that is good in this world, say yes to change. 

I know it's scary. I know it's costly. But it'll be worth it, because there's so much for you out there. There's so much opportunity in this big, wide world. And it's yours for the taking, and it's your duty to yourself to grab Life by the collar and shake it a little (or a lot) until you get what you want.

You'll miss home. You'll miss your parents and your pets and your old childhood bedroom and your friends and your mentors and you'll miss all the connections you've made and all the wonderful things you've done at home. But they'll still be there, the memories will remain, and you need to move on.

You'll see. Once you've had a taste of what's waiting for you out there, once you've faced challenges you thought were larger than you, once you've tired yourself out and need a break, you'll return home. Briefly; or maybe you'll stay for longer, and that's okay. But the important thing is, you'll go back to the place you grew up, and though the memories and the magic of childhood still float around occasionally, you'll take a sip of the air of home. You'll taste the familiar flavor of home. And then, my friend, you'll find that it's a little bland. 

Reviews

[Pokegeek151]

I love the final image, about the taste of home being bland after getting to experience the world. It's a great sensory detail, and a strong note to end the piece on.

The emotional intent of the piece is good, but it all feels a little shallow. A way to richen the piece could be to identify, at least to yourself, who the speaker is and who they're addressing. Has the speaker gone through this before? If so, add some of their personal experience! It doesn't even have to be direct - something to the effect of "you'll go to the city and meet x kind of person, and maybe they'll take you to their apartment building and onto the roof so you can watch the stars rise over the rooftops" or whatever details and moments you want to include. If the speaker hasn't done this themself, then why are they trying to reassure the listener? That in itself could be a very interesting perspective to explore.

You don't have to name anyone, speaker, audience or otherwise, but adding texture will make the whole piece more cohesive and more emotionally impactful.