The ape on the left was mine. I bought him in 2021. Four traits. Bloodshot eyes, a grin, a blue sky. Nothing else. Clean. For two years he was my face on X. People knew me by him. Somewhere along the way he stopped being something I owned and became part of how I saw myself. In 2023 I sold him to @machibigbrother. And even though it was a sensible decision at the time, it was one I regretted deeply for years. I'd catch myself thinking about him. Not the price. Him. Then I heard he'd been chosen for a collection of apes curated by Machi who would be made available to museums. I was proud of him, and a little jealous. This month I found the one on the right. Same blue sky. Same grin. White fur, an eyepatch, a diamond in his ear. He looks like my old ape after three years at sea. I knew he was mine the moment I saw him. And then something happened that I never thought was possible. I started to like him more. My first ape was the classic Bored Ape, perfect in his simplicity. This one has a story. The eyepatch says he's been somewhere. The white fur makes him impossible to miss. The diamond says he came back with something to show for it. He's not just bored. He's been through it, and he's still grinning. Which, after three years of wondering why I ever let go, feels about right. Here's what nobody tells you about collecting. You don't just collect objects. You collect versions of yourself. A profile picture becomes a face. A face becomes an identity. And when you sell it, you find out you sold something that was never on the price tag. I don't regret that sale anymore. It sent me looking, and I found my forever ape. It feels so good to be home. 🦍🍌