My Written Musings
We as human beings have evolved from learning to create fires till the present modern day age we are oh so proud of. But why do we seek this evolution, this change? Why do we feel the need to change, perhaps, the need to be better? Imagine you. You were born into this world; perhaps, unwillingly and brought to life and they were afflicted with the idea of the way you should be living. The “ideal” way of living; the “ideal” behavior; the “ideal” rules and the norms; the ultimate truth? But who is the society to judge the “ultimate truth”? Who gave them the power to advocate so?
Truth as we know it has been thrust upon us since the beginning of the time. When a baby is born, he is taught by his parents or teachers alike how to speak, communicate and behave. The child as it grows is then taught the “correct” way of demeanour and appearance based on cultural appropriation, ethnicity, religion or other aspects associated with a certain family. This, for the children, is soon thought of as “truth”.
The child then grows and is taught by teachers, peers and “prestigious” idols alike the true (read idealistic) way of living. But no sooner, this child starts questioning thing. This child starts questioning the “truth”. He questions these norms, the idols, their idealistic way of living. Too bad, their questioning remains just a silent scream of cacophony. At this point, just like humans do, they try to change things. They dream of evolution. They dream of doing the unthinkable, “advocating the truth”. However, they are deemed naïve. Perhaps, they could be but, don’t they deserve a chance to be heard?
The child then enters adolescence, still questioning yet, unheard. Then, to catch attention and let this question be heard he starts acting out or as his elders say, he enters the stage of “rebellion”. His rebellion includes countering this “truth” or “true belief”, perhaps, in ways one would not prefer saying out aloud. But no sooner, this rebellion is heavily restrained so much so that the questioning is long forgotten; the truth is long forgotten.
The child then grows up to your normal day adult, stuck in his monotonic nine to five job, with his 8 figure salary and a family deeply suppressing his once curious questioning and living under this façade of truth which he now recites to his children. He now advocates the truth, the truth which like a medicine he was once forced to swallow down himself. He in fact, now lives their ultimate, doesn’t he? Mehr Chawla
Grade 11