Who's Batman, anyway?

A student's reflection on growing up, falling down, and the weight of independence

- BY JOREN KYCER AGNES APOYA, 21 Asian Development Foundation College Inc.

Independence: a word that best describes youth, adulthood, and everything in between. It could be the first decision you made without seeking validation from others, or the moment when you finally stood up and owned the space that used to be desolate. In the long run, you've reached a point where hiding is no longer a choice, nor an option. And that's reality right there—you are alone.

Growing up, I've dreamed of possessing supernatural abilities, as everyone does. I used to hold my breath, pretending I could live without the need for respiration, from lifting weights twice my size to numbing the sting of alcohol on my wounds from the fall of climbing a mango tree—in an attempt to acquire the strength, immunity, and guts of a superhero.