In Too Deep

I would much rather talk about the festivities I have enjoyed over the past couple of days (the time immersed in French language, techno, and cigarettes... good times around the mah jong table... crashing a reunion that involved proving equations with factorials... Andrew: Part Deux), but I think a certain amount of respect is due to those who have suffered and are suffering the effects of the quake and tsunamis in Asia. I apologize for taking such a dreadful and almost predictable turn in topics. I don't enjoy reading other people's musings on serious subjects, not because I hate facing reality... but because I feel like most of them miss the big picture and the silver lining. So, indulge me for a moment as I voice my point of view.

I am usually scatterbrained, sarcastic, and lighthearted... but I have a firm grasp on what I believe is true in life, which is the fact that life is hard. It never promised anything to anyone. It is cruel, unreasonable, and unforgiving. In our industrialized, urban splendor, it is natural to get caught up in fretting about little things like what we should wear or be dissatisfied with our careers and our material possessions. After all, if you were to fall apart every time someone in the world suffered, you would be a useless shadow of a person. So, how do we deal with the unpleasantness of life? Everyone has their own solution to this problem. Some people drown themselves in the depressing aspects of the world; others constantly seek a distraction from reality... always in pursuit of the next party, the next buzz. Still others turn to religion, where every answer is conveniently provided by someone else. To each his own.

I think it is almost impossible to run from reality forever, and the longer you run, the harder you will be hit when you are forced to face real pain. Still, there is no need to constantly dwell on the harshness of life. Everywhere you turn, there is suffering and injustice. It doesn't take any effort to wallow around in that. The true task is in finding the beauty, enjoying the fleeting moments, and defiantly seeing the humor beneath the surface.