The Narratives – Mohamed Miah

I never set out to write my own story, but looking back, I realise I’ve been writing it all along—through memories, through lessons, through the quiet spaces where life reveals its truths.

Some people look at their lives as a straight path, a series of steps leading from one moment to the next, like a well-laid plan unfolding exactly as expected. Mine has never been like that. If anything, my life has felt more like a series of crossroads, each one demanding a choice, some made in certainty, others in doubt, and a few that felt like they weren’t mine to make at all.

I grew up with contradictions. A British Bangladeshi, balancing two worlds. A deep thinker but a joker at heart. An introvert who could hold a room. Someone who gave too much but hated feeling taken for granted. I was the kind of kid who would take apart a toy to see how it worked, fascinated by the mechanics of things, but it took me years to realise that life doesn’t come with blueprints. You don’t always get to unscrew the parts and put them back together neatly. Some things break and stay broken. Some things change before you even realise what they were supposed to be.

I’ve worked since I was 14, navigating life not with a map but with instinct. I’ve made mistakes, taken detours, been forced onto roads I never wanted to walk. But through it all, the one thing I’ve held onto is this: nothing is wasted if you pay attention. Every struggle, every disappointment, every quiet heartbreak—it all adds up to something. It shapes you. And even when life feels like it’s working against you, sometimes it’s actually working for you in ways you don’t understand yet.

This is my story. Not a neat, polished narrative with perfect arcs and resolutions, but a collection of moments, lessons, and reflections. A life lived in fragments, stitched together by faith, resilience, and an unshakable belief that no matter how lost I feel, Allah always knows the way.

You can follow my journey as I document my life here. I’m working on an autobiography of sorts, mainly for my children—something they can turn to when I’m no longer around, a collection of stories and reflections that piece together who I was.

At the moment, it’s a work in progress, titled I Wish I Could, though that may change as the story unfolds. It’s not just about my life, but the lessons, the struggles, and the moments that shaped me.

You can read it here soon: https://the-narratives.com/short-stories/

This isn’t just a story about me—it’s about the lessons, struggles, and moments that shape all of us. If you’ve ever felt lost, torn between worlds, or like life isn’t following the script you imagined, then maybe, just maybe, you’ll find something here that resonates.