There’s a moment when it finally hits you.
It’s all over.
This is the end.
This is the end of One Direction.
For me, that moment was when I was scrolling through Instagram and paused on Liam’s most recent post. The caption gave me some mixed emotions. One Direction is our home and our family. Then why are the boys leaving? Why is Liam signing with a new label? Why are they going in different directions?
What about One Direction? What happened to their promise?
The funny thing is that I already knew. I think we all did. It’s not as if it could last forever, even as much as we all want that. I mean, the band hasn’t been the same since Zayn left. It could never be the same after the loss of a member, but it continued to be home for millions of people. However, it can’t remain the same as it was in the beginning. And it obviously can’t last forever. One Direction, like all great things, is destined to end.
The great news about One Direction’s end is that it is not really an ending, but rather a new beginning. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculously cliché. But it’s true.
The boys promised that they would be back, and I believe them. Maybe it will take a few years. And they probably won’t return the way that most of us have hoped. There probably won’t be more albums or even singles. The tours are over. Our boys have moved onto new adventures in their lives. But One Direction will be back. We can definitely hope for a reunion tour, but we may never get it.
Here’s why…
This is not the end of One Direction.
One Direction is no longer just a band, and it never really was one. It is the five boys who met during the "X-Factor" five years ago. Each of those boys agreed to become a part of something bigger than themselves, and the band was formed. Without them, there is no One Direction. So what’s my point?
One Direction will never end.
It lives on through each of their lives. It lives on through Zayn’s solo career, which started before the end of the band. It lives on through Liam’s solo career, which was just announced. It lives on through Harry’s acting career, which will kill me for sure. It lives on through Louis’ music producing career, which has only just begun. It lives on through Niall’s golfing hobby, which I am not sure counts as a career, but rather a passion. It lives on through all of their careers and their lives, even after the band itself has stopped performing on stage. Even as millions of fangirls and fanboys mourn the loss of a great band, One Direction has not ended. Instead, its legacy has begun.
We are entering the era of A.O.D. (After One Direction).
I wish everyone luck as we learn to live without the band which helped shape us into our true forms.
The good news is that One Direction is nowhere near over.
This is not the end of One Direction.
This is the beginning of a new One Direction. Yes, all of the boys are going in different directions, but that just means that we get the opportunity to support them in their careers. We get to watch and cheer as they follow some different passions, or the same passion in a different way. We get to say “Look how far he’s come!” when our favorite does something that makes us proud.
One Direction promised that this is not the end, so it’s not.
And as loyal fans, we will choose to support One Direction until the very end, or until the next beginning.
