Performance Review of A Nervous System
When I was twelve, the Iraqi Baccalaureate exams felt like a verdict on my entire future. Admission into Baghdad College wasn’t just school placement; it was proof that I was what I said I was capable, exceptional, and worth the investment. My mother, who rivals Mother Teresa in patience, sat with me for hours. She recited; I repeated. We treated preparation like a campaign. Discipline was love in our house during exam season. One afternoon, during a study session, Forrest Gump was playing in the background. We both noticed we were paying more attention to the movie than to the material. There was a brief pause. Then we made a quiet decision: we would watch the film. That moment stayed with me. Forrest moves through the world with a kind of uncomplicated kindness. He does not overthink his goodness. He simply practices it. The scene where his braces break and he runs has always felt symbolic; constraint giving way to motion. Effort turning into momentum. I used to relate to that ...
