Catherine Kwon

Time Travel draws upon themes of reflection, regret, and reassurance. Depicted are four versions of myself: three of the present — or perhaps future — talking to the younger self of the past, representative of recurring thoughts of “If I started X earlier, worked harder on X, did X differently, then maybe I would be in a better place now.” 

This piece reflects the somewhat unreasonable — yet at the same time, somewhat reasonable — desire to forcibly sacrifice the past and present for the future. Perhaps it’s a justified feeling; after all, such a mindset is commonplace among many of the communities I belong to, such as the immigrant and FGLI communities. But maybe it’s merely a product of selfishness and greed, making the choice to chase an unpredictable future, all while blinded to the benefits of having a non-burnt out lifestyle.