It seems that each time we fall asleep, we wind up waking to a whole new world—something unrecognizable yet oh so familiar. The shape of our society moulds like clay, being contorted by the hands of those who have no consideration for whom it belongs.
It’s easy to feel untethered in times like these. Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken with a number of different people all sharing the same sentiment: what’s the point?
Now, I really like this question. At a glance, you could conclude that there is no point and everything is hopeless. But if you look a little closer, you might find that there is no point and everything is hopeful!
So long as we go on imagining the worst-case scenario, we should also take the time to imagine the best-case scenario. It’s okay to zoom in every once in a while. The bigger picture will always be there.
Once we’ve zoomed in, we may just find that our lives, now more than ever, are our greatest possessions, and we have a commitment to ourselves to live each day as best we can (although that will inevitably look different for everyone). And if we are, in fact, hurtling toward a fate equal to or worse than death, I don’t see why that notion should be any different.
Frankly, to be stagnant in a time of forced compliance is to turn a blind eye to your autonomy. The world in which we live today is far from free, but we cannot abandon ourselves for the sake of sensationalism. We cannot allow the waves to prevent us from also noticing the beauty of the ocean. The beauty of it all, so inefficiently balanced.
I’ve found, in my limited experience, that there is so much life to be lived between the serious and the unserious. There, you can find a concern for the terrible and an appreciation for the wonderful, which somehow manage to coexist in a constant act of caregiving.
There is a balance to this. To find it, one must first be proactive in recognizing the correlation between the personal and the multi-personal. It is not selfish to care for yourself. In fact, you are far more likely to help those around you if you’ve already taken the time to help yourself.
You’re not a bad person for appreciating what is right in front of you; for seeing stars in the eyes of a loved one or for finding God at the bottom of your coffee cup in the morning.
We have an obligation to ourselves as much as we do to each other. We are not meant to give and give until it’s all gone. We are not meant to fixate on the things that keep us awake at night. We are meant to find a balance, and in that balance meaning.
It would be cruel to subject ourselves to a life of bad experiences, news clippings, and nothing more. Of course, these things matter. They shape us, but they do not make us. There are dinners with friends, hobbies to enjoy, favourite songs, and the scenic drive home. There is a best-case scenario worth imagining.
And while life may not be pink, it is not pitch black either. You don’t have to feel bad for admiring the stars that shine just for you and everyone you love.
You can have the experience without the guilt. You can fall in love and dig your heels in and learn lessons you wish you’d never had to. It may not be the life, but it is your life. And that is the point.