A story that's been on my mind - Part 1.

Since I was a young child, I've constantly made up stories to amuse myself. In recent years, I've recognized that these stories often serve a second function: to help me comprehend something. Lately, I think that's extended to helping me process my own life events. Spiritual enough to be on a spiritual blog? Well... if it wasn't trying to tell me something important, it wouldn't have been on re-run in my mind for the past month straight, now would it? So I've decided in cases like these to add stories, occasionally, to this blog. 

This story, just like most of my stories, is a mish-mash of recent cultural inputs and events that have happened to me and others. The main parts of it appeared in my mind at once in a flash--that's usually how they happen--but a few plot holes have been filled in as I've watched and re-watched (so to speak) the "movie" in my head. 

My stories usually have a set "viewing mode" - they don't translate super well to other modes. This one appeared to me in the style of a 3D animated Disney musical of recent vintage - colorful, family drama, light-hearted tone, but hiding surprisingly deep themes. (I was recently watching clips of Encanto.) I'll do my best to spit it out in text form. 
( We start off with a scrappy hero on the cusp of adulthood, like most of these films do... )

A story that's been on my mind - Part 2.

 ( We start back up again at the flashback to the city where  )