The Long Walk by Jenismar Cabán Dumeng
- upragenglishpublic
- Sep 29
- 2 min read
I’m sharing this because it reflects a habit I’ve been working to break—letting one bad moment ruin everything. I used to carry stress like a storm cloud, letting it darken my whole day. Writing this helped me realize: the weight we carry doesn’t have to shape the world around us.
Today felt heavy. One of those days where everything goes wrong—late start, spilled coffee, mistakes at work. By the time I left the office, I was convinced my life was falling apart.
The day had started normally. I got ready, made breakfast, packed my briefcase. My office is ten minutes away, and though I usually drive, sometimes I walk—my lazy version of staying active.
Just as I was leaving, my phone rang. It was my wife. We’d been separated for weeks, and now she had an answer. Her voice was calm when she said she was leaving—for good. I hung up, numb but not surprised. Deep down, I’d known it was over.
I walked anyway, trying to shake it off. But the weight followed me—until I heard a rooster crowing, loud and out of place. It cut through the noise of the city. When I looked, the bird was still, like nothing had happened. I envied that peace.
I distracted myself with thoughts of a promotion I’d been chasing—double the pay, more responsibility. Then a car passed, blasting my favorite song. For a moment, I felt lighter.
But later, my boss called me in. His face said it all. The promotion went to someone else—someone newer, less experienced.
When I left work, anger hit first. Every honk and shout felt personal. Then came the sadness. I noticed the cracked sidewalk, the trash on the corner—like the world was falling apart with me. But as I kept walking, my steps found a rhythm. I started to breathe again.
That’s when I noticed the small things: a kid chasing bubbles, the smell of food from a nearby restaurant, the same rooster—now silent.
And I realized: the streets hadn’t changed. I had. Maybe that’s what life is—learning that the world looks different depending on how much we let our day weigh us down.
