It Was Never My Job

In the shadow of understanding, a stark revelation unfolds, narrated by a voice once submerged in the innocence of youth. "It really was never my job to fight the bullies for you," the voice asserts, its timbre laced with the dawning of an overdue truth. In this confession lies the heart of a child who mistook responsibility for affection, who stood small yet fierce against the giants of malice, believing it was their duty to be the shield when, in all reality, the roles should have been reversed, and the protection should have been theirs to receive.

"It really was never my job to make you happy," the voice continues, its clarity growing with each word. Here, the child, burdened by the weight of an adult’s emotional well-being, reflects on the unfairness of a world where a young heart felt compelled to juggle the fragile ornaments of another's contentment. This realization speaks of a backward world, where the innocence of youth was overshadowed by the hefty expectation to fill the voids of adult happiness.

"I really was never supposed to entertain you," the voice admits, shedding the guise of the perennial entertainer. The child, who once believed their value lay in the laughter they could provoke, now sees the misplaced nature of this belief. The stage where they performed tirelessly, seeking approval and love in return for their antics, was never theirs to tread upon so early, for their role was to live freely, not to be encumbered by the need to amuse an adult's gaze.

Finally, with a sobering gentleness, the voice declares, "It really was never my duty to always be happy." This sentence unveils the cruelest inversion of roles, where the child felt compelled to radiate constant joy, masking their own needs and sorrows to maintain an adult's emotional equilibrium. The acknowledgment of this misplaced duty illuminates the poignant reality that the child's only responsibility was to experience the full spectrum of emotions, learning and growing through each one, not to serve as the unwavering beacon of happiness for an adult.

In these reflections, a narrative of misplaced obligations and inverted roles unfolds, illustrating the profound misalignment between the natural order of care and the burdens unfairly placed on a child’s shoulders. It is a heartbreaking reminder that the essence of childhood is to be nurtured and protected, to explore and to learn, not to bear the weight of adult responsibilities and emotional labor.