Starting from memories that have evolved into life experiences, the image shown here depicts a real-life journey within a poor farming family. It tells the story of a young boy who grew up bearing the weight of responsibility from the age of seven.
Every morning during the rainy season, he had to wake up and gather grass for the family’s cattle alongside his aunt before heading to school. Sometimes, the task took so long that he arrived late, resulting in a teacher’s punishment—standing at the flagpole for an hour. There were even moments when, knowing he was late, he felt like giving up on school altogether.
This story is, in fact, the true life of the artist himself. Every morning, he had to collect at least two fertilizer sacks of grass, weighing nearly 100 kg.
Interestingly, today the elders in my village notice that I am the tallest in my family. They often joke, saying, “He’s so tall because he carried those heavy loads of grass on his head every morning as a child.” Their reasoning is that when you carry a heavy weight over a long distance, your neck and head are compressed downward; once the weight is lifted, your body feels light, causing you to “stretch” and grow taller.
This is just one small chapter of my life, shown here to represent the strength it takes to stand firm while carrying a heavy burden on one’s head every day. It mirrors our lives today—carrying heavy loads upon our shoulders, yet remaining resilient and standing strong to walk toward the future.
