The One That Got Away - By Fatima Barakat

Written By: Fatima Barakat

Category: Essay

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In her essay titled "The One That Got Away," Fatima Barakat offers a reflective exploration into the complexities of freshman year. Submitted to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, this piece delves into the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood. With a focus on identity and the inevitable changes that come with growing up, Fatima's work invites readers to revisit their own formative experiences.

About the Work

Fatima Barakat's essay captures the poignant essence of freshman year, a time marked by self-discovery and transformation. With a keen eye for detail, she examines the subtle shifts in identity that occur amidst the daily chaos of high school life. Her narrative is imbued with a sense of nostalgia and introspection, offering readers a window into the emotional journey of adolescence.

The One That Got Away

Original Submission by Fatima Barakat

The One That Got Away

Freshman year is a strange place to exist. You are no longer a child, but you are not quite old enough to feel like an adult either. Everyone seems to expect you to know who you are, what you want, and where you are going, while you are still trying to figure out which version of yourself feels the most real. It is a year caught somewhere between familiarity and possibility, where everything feels new even when it is not.

I entered high school thinking the biggest change would be the school itself. I expected new classrooms, new teachers, harder subjects, unfamiliar faces, and a longer list of responsibilities. What I did not expect was how much I would change without noticing. Somewhere between lessons, conversations, deadlines, laughter, mistakes, and ordinary afternoons, I began leaving behind pieces of the person I had been.

There is something unsettling about growing up because it rarely announces itself. Nobody tells you that a certain afternoon will be the last time you feel exactly like your younger self. You do not realize that a friendship is becoming a memory while you are still living inside it, or that a familiar routine will one day be something you miss. Growing up happens quietly, hidden inside ordinary days, until you look back and realize that you are standing much farther from your childhood than you thought.

Freshman year taught me that independence is not suddenly knowing how to handle everything. It is learning how to handle things when nobody else can tell you exactly what to do. It is making decisions, getting some of them wrong, learning from them, and realizing that mistakes do not make you incapable; they make you human. For the first time, I began to understand that becoming older does not mean becoming certain. Sometimes it means becoming comfortable with uncertainty.

Of course, the year was not made entirely of profound realizations. There were mornings when getting out of bed felt like an achievement, assignments that seemed determined to consume every free hour, exams that made everyone suddenly question every decision that had led them there, and days when all I wanted was for the week to end. Yet those are not the moments I think I will remember most. I think I will remember the laughter that interrupted lessons, the conversations that somehow lasted longer than they were supposed to, the jokes that made absolutely no sense to anyone outside our circle, and the feeling of being surrounded by people who were experiencing the same strange transition alongside me.

That is the irony of freshman year: while you are living it, you are often so focused on surviving it that you do not realize you are creating memories you will eventually miss. You complain about the workload, count down to holidays, and dream about becoming older, never considering that one day you might look back at these same days with a kind of tenderness. The things that once felt ordinary may become the details that make you smile years later.

I used to think growing up meant becoming someone completely different. Now I think it is more complicated than that. You carry your younger selves with you. The shy version, the confident version, the uncertain version, the version who was convinced she had everything figured out, and the version who had no idea what was coming next. None of them disappear completely. They become part of the person you continue to build.

Freshman year was not the year I became someone new. It was the year I realized I was still becoming. And maybe that is what made it so memorable: I entered it expecting a new school year and left it carrying a slightly different version of myself.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, celebrates diverse voices in the literary arts. This prestigious event invites participants from around the world to share their unique perspectives through poetry, short stories, essays, and creative writing. The competition serves as a platform for emerging and established writers to showcase their talent and creativity.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Fatima Barakat for sharing her insightful essay, "The One That Got Away," with us. Her participation in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 enriches the tapestry of stories that define this event. We are grateful for the opportunity to feature her work and look forward to witnessing her continued journey as a writer.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.