Stripped

Gene /jēn/

A distinct sequence of organic molecules forming part of a chromosome. In the colloquial, a blueprint unit of heredity.

Epigenomics /EH-pih-jeh-NOH-mix/

The study of all the epigenetic changes in a cell, where changes affect the way genes are switched on and off without altering the actual DNA sequence. Epigenetics governs gene expression, swayed by age and exposure to environmental factors—diet, exercise, drugs, and chemicals. Importantly, these changes are reversible, altering not the sequence but how your body reads the DNA script.

We are creatures birthed from stem cells—the perfect neutral palette, structured over time by the environment’s whispers, coaxed into specialization. With infinite DNA protein combinations awaiting their cue, the double helix adorned with necklaces of ‘potential’ ignites ‘master’ switches, triggering a cascade of BECOMING.

And here I stand at 39 years, 10 months, and two days—stripped. Absolutely naked. 

The nervous system is dual in its purpose. In the first, it orchestrates our relation to all that is external, ultimately modulating gene expression and serving as the master circuit maker, or breaker, that activates the DNA blueprints within. In its second purpose, the nervous system, with its fiery synapses, presides over the ecosystem of organs—each possessing its own consciousness, however distinct yet harmonized within the greater whole.

From the most structured of designer cells emerges the heart cell—a sleek, elongated blade, poised to slice through the rhythm of life. Its form, pointed and purposeful, curves gently embodying the pulse it commands. A subtle, metallic sheen cloaks its surface, hinting at the strength within. Inside, vibrant streaks of red pulse with energy, each one a testament to the relentless force that powers the heartbeat.

Equally, I stand as a ‘designer’ human. Meticulously crafted, every facet of my being engineered with surgical precision. From the moment I drew breath, the architects of my life molded and shaped each detail with exacting intention. My voice, tuned to its audience; My body, sculpted for tennis and beauty; My fingers, dancing across piano keys. Discipline and diligence in study and life. Cosmopolitan, cultured, and adaptable. Languages loaded. Plato’s forms for exceptional human design anthropomorphized. 

Performance-mastery the sound and everlasting edict, informing posture, breath, and sound. Every accolade secured—from ‘summa cum laude’ to ‘summa everything’. Fluent in fluency and excellence, I called upon the 'highest' in absolute as a curated expression of mastery over body and mind. Each gesture, each movement, each unit of education imparted for serve as a testament to a human productized for the global elite. 

And so, the heart cell becomes the allegory for the designer human aforementioned. 

At precisely 39 years, 10 months, and two days, fifth dimensional consciousness strips human of its design, just as CRISPR technology strips a cell of its specialization to return to its primordial pluripotent state. Adult cells revert back to an almost translucent sphere of potential, compact and unassuming. Both cell and human brimming with endless possibilities. The cell shape smooth and unmarked—equally, a human blank slate ready to become anything, anywhere. Life hints at the boundless nature of purpose.

Stripped of every label — big and small, real or imagined. Daughter relinquished at the close of two parental graves. Education degrees neutralized by sparked intuition. Dancer surrendered to the silence of sobriety. Great friend traded for shifting vibration. Artist compromised by the moon cycles of untouched art. Writer devoid of words or expression. Solitary exchanged for community, which in turn is exchanged for illusion. Paradox after paradox reigns.

Stem cell and human share a vibration. Inside both, a quiet, latent energy, from which escapes a subtle hum of life waiting to unfold. Each holds the raw power to transform and create, to build the very essence of life itself. 

I stand stripped on the precipice of every boundary, both metaphorical and real. With each deliberate inhale, layers of identity fall away; one-by-one, trial after tribulation erases. The data of my existence, once downloaded in bits per second, meets a total wipeout. 

I am forced back to the original blueprint. 

Bare of all artifice, SURRENDER now the only option. I find myself yielding to the forces governed by the quantum; And, with equal parts of solid trepidation and mystified excitement, I lean in into new architectural forces of my own becoming. I lean into new environmental cues and outcomes. I lean into the most unknown of unknowns.

And, I ask the most potent question:

“With all familiar labels relinquished, who are we if not the authors of our own destiny? And, who are we without our stories?”