You see me today with a beard and payos, a hat and jacket, standing and davening with Kavanah.
Surely you think that I was always like this.
But no, I was once totally different...
I'd like to share with you about a period of my life that I am less proud of.
At the time I was barely religious.
For two years I barely opened a sefer, not even a siddur.
I didn't daven. I didn't learn. Nothing.
No Teffilin, no benching.
Nothing spiritual had any meaning to me.
I used to sleep whenever I wanted to. I had no structure to my day.
Sometimes I would be up till late at night, and then I would sleep most of the morning.
And don't ask about Shabbos and Yom Tov. Most people go to shul, learn, grow.
Me? Nothing. I would stay up maybe just for the meal.
Even the High Holidays didn't move me. I didn't hear Shofar or go to Kol Nidrei.
I wore colored clothing and had a pony tail, without a kippah.
I would waste my days with stupid, meaningless activities.
I hung out with all types of friends who looked just like me.
And I didn't share my feelings with anyone.
With my father I barely spoke.
My mother used to shower me with love, but I didn't speak much even to her.
So you are surely wondering, "Nu, so what changed?"
I grew up.
I was only two years old then.