22. The opposite of 21
There are days when we realize that the story we were telling ourselves was true.
Yet it wasn't the whole truth.
Because life is neither linear nor consistent, as our need for security would have us believe.
It is mobile. Ironic. Sometimes ruthlessly creative.
There are choices we believe we make with clarity,
, but which instead arise from a well-disguised fear: the fear of not succeeding, of losing what we have achieved,
, of discovering that without that role, that title, that confirmation... we might not exist enough.
And then something unexpected happens: reality takes a step aside.
And shows us that everything can be the opposite of everything else.
What appeared to be maturity can be defended.
What seemed like resignation may be deep loyalty.
What seemed like security may be immobility.
There is no such thing as the "right" choice.
There is only the true choice right now.
Life is not safe.
It does not promise continuity.
It does not guarantee consistency.
But it can surprise those who have the courage to listen.
And perhaps growing up means understanding and accepting that we can still recognize ourselves even when we change our minds.
The opposite of everything may not be confusion but clarification.
Key to interpretation: Art. 21 → Art. 22
The 21st speaks of conscious misalignment: I recognize that what I wanted no longer represents me.
The 22 introduces a more subtle and vivid truth:perhaps that choice was not "wrong" — it was necessary to expose a fear.
In 21, the mirror reveals the gap.
In 22, the mirror moves.
And this is where Manet quietly returns to play the role of master.
The bar at the Folies-Bergère
And at the same time, she isn't.
Like us, when a choice seems consistent... but inside, something has already changed direction.
Questions (for me and for those who have experienced something similar)
Is this choice born out of desire or fear of failure?
If you removed the word "safety" would you still do it?
Who am I proving something to by continuing?
What would happen if I stopped being consistent with my past?
What does my intuition say now—not yesterday, not tomorrow?
Which part of me wants control and which part wants truth?
What if life is surprising me precisely because it is uncertain?
Perhaps the true act of faith is not choosing a definitive direction.
But accepting that life can surprise us only if we stop expecting it to be predictable.
And if the 21st was the day of revelation, the 22nd could be the day of sacred irony: the kind that teaches us that growing up also means
having the courage to say:
“Today I feel differently. And that's okay.”
Sources of inspiration
Art (simply) personal life experience
The Bar at the Folies-Bergère — Édouard Manet (1882)
