Let Them Dream

She was never a 'wild child'. She generally abided by the rules, unless she thought them to be unfair. She of course was the judge of that. A musical rhythm would lash out and whisk her limbs and muscles away until they could hardly be controlled.

There was not much thought given before an action was taken. She did without the burden of worry over a possible unsatisfactory outcome. That is not to say that she was indifferent. On the contrary, she thought, a lot. Sometimes she thought a little too much for that matter, running through all related and connected elements to one given situation or fact. Back then however, those pesty pricks that nip and peck at your insides were not heavy or sharp enough to cause any real damage.  The blissful lightness of youth. 

Nasty topics enter an innocent mind as more and more experiences mystify the path to positivity. Success, money, image and time slowly creep in and settle for good at some point. We have no choice but to allow them to get comfortable because we are taught that they are of utmost importance. Thus, she herself lost her innocence right on schedule. 

As the years rolled by, simple, daily functions became tainted by a dirty screen of unnecessary concern. Actions of survival like eating were no longer simple but something complex and worth worrying about. Rather than just satisfying a natural feeling of hunger it was suddenly what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat it and what effect it would have on the size and shape of the machine we call our body.  She would never have imagined that she would be counting hours between meals. 

When you are young, bad habits are harmless, obsessions are cute and insecurities minor. She knew natural from unnatural and right from wrong. However, in a society which demands certain 'attributes' and 'qualities' in order to function, she could not help but be affected. She was taught, just like everyone surrounding her that beauty and success are objective rather than subjective. Naturally, she began to try for things that she deep down cared little for. You can understand what conflict that generated for her inner or spiritual (if you will) well-being and growth. 

As a result, she wakes up and does all she 'has' to do in order to function within this purgatory of a life. She still thankfully has her intangible dreams and desires which come back and smack her hard in the face once in a while. The blow will leave some blood vessels broken , clearly visible for remembrance until the next one strikes. 

She exists oftentimes within a large natural environment full of people. There is plenty of room for everyone within that space. There is no trace of jealousy, resentment, anger or judgement of any kind. Melodies bounce off objects as the people dance their whole, enormous hearts out. They are free of need. She is okay, she is content because she can go to that room pretty much whenever she pleases. Her dream is sometimes more real than reality. 

The danger is when children are taught not to dream, but to adopt the dreams of others. The danger is when they are taught not to imagine but to entertain themselves through what others have imagined. Children are conscious as to what they need for their own unique existence and they should be free to live that existence as they see fit. 

"We must" - 'The Zahir' Paolo Coelho

"The all-powerful Zahir seemed to be born with every human being to gain full strength in childhood, imposing rules that would thereafter always be respected:

People who are different are dangerous; they belong to another tribe; they want our lands and our women.
We must marry, have children, reproduce the species.
Love is only a small thing, enough for one person, and any suggestion that the heart might be larger than this is considered perverse.

When we marry, we are authorized to take possession of the other person, body and soul.

We must do jobs we detest because we are part of an organized society, and if everyone did what they wanted to do, the world would come to a standstill.

We must buy jewelry; it identifies us with our tribe, just as body piercing identifies those of a different tribe.

We must be amusing at all times and sneer at those who express their real feelings; its dangerous for a tribe to allow members to show their feelings.

We must at all costs avoid saying no because people prefer those who always say yes, and this allows us to survive in hostile territory.

What other people think is more important than what we feel.
Never make a fuss - it might attract the attention of an enemy tribe.

If you behave differently, you will be expelled from the tribe because you could infect others and destroy something that was extremely difficult to organize in the first place.

We must eat three meals a day, even if we're not hungry, and when we fail to fit the current ideal of beauty we must fast, even if we're starving.

We must dress according to the dictates of fashion, make love whether we feel like it or not, kill in the name of our country, wish time away so that retirement comes more quickly, elect politicians, complain about the cost of living, change our hair-style, criticize anyone who is different, go to a religious service on Sunday, Saturday or Friday, depending on our religion, and then beg forgiveness for our sins and puff ourselves up with pride because we know the truth and despise the other tribe, who worships a false god.

Our children must follow in our footsteps; after all, we are older and know about the world.

We must have a university degree even if we never get a job in the area of knowledge we were forced to study.

We must study things that we will never use, but which someone told us were important to know: algebra, trigonometry, the code of Hammurabi.

We must never make our parents sad, even if this means giving up everything that makes us happy.

We must play music quietly, talk quietly, weep in private, because i am the all powerful Zahir, who lays down the rules and determines the distance between railway tracks, the meaning of success, the best way to love, the importance of rewards."

Excerpt from 'The Zahir' - Paulo Coelho

"The cathedral had had its moments of glory, there had been structural problems, for a time it had been abandoned, then restoration work had distorted the whole shape of the building, but each generation thought it had solved the problem and would rework the original plans. Thus, in the centuries that followed, they raised a wall here, took down a beam there, added a buttress over there, created or bricked up stained-glass windows.
           
And the cathedral withstood it all.
I walked through the skeleton of the cathedral, studying the restoration work currently being carried out: this time the architects guarantee that they have found the perfect solution. Everywhere there are metal supports, scaffolding, grand theories about what to do next, and some criticism about what was done in the past.

And suddenly, in the middle of the central nave, i realized something very important: the cathedral is me, it is all of us. We are all growing and changing shape, we notice certain weaknesses that need to be corrected, we don't always choose the best solution, but we carry on regardless, trying to remain upright and decent, in order to do honor not to the walls or the doors or the windows, but to the empty space inside, the space where we worship and venerate what is dearest and most important to us.

Yes, we are all cathedrals, there is no doubt about it; but what lies in the empty space of my inner cathedral?"

The one thing we have in common

“Here's what I think, Mr. Wind-Up Bird," said May Kasahara. "Everybody's born with some different thing at the core of their existence. And that thing, whatever it is, becomes like a heat source that runs each person from the inside. I have one too, of course. Like everybody else. But sometimes it gets out of hand. It swells or shrinks inside me, and it shakes me up. What I'd really like to do is find a way to communicate that feeling to another person. But I can't seem to do it. They just don't get it. Of course, the problem could be that I'm not explaining it very well, but I think it's because they're not listening very well. They pretend to be listening, but they're not, really. So I get worked up sometimes, and I do some crazy things.” 
Haruki Murakami quotes The wind-up bird chronicle 

I copy pasted this paragraph because I felt that there was something I did not agree with. I agree totally that we all having something different at the core of our existence but exactly for that reason we can not and must not demand that it be understood by others. It is something sacred that only we can try (and sometimes even we have problems) understanding. I have this battle within myself for quite a long time. How am I ever going to find someone (whether that be a friend, partner or whatever) who has the same views as me? I tried talking to people about spiritual issues I am interested in and other worldly conversations that stimulate and inspire me. Well guess what I realized? Every time i had these kind of conversations (which I always brought up) I ended up really upset because the person I was talking to would always try and grab me from the ankles and screw my legs to the ground with a hook and hammer. I would get upset because I felt that the world was lost in misery and that there was no romanticism left and no beauty seen. I have discovered that I don't have to ask that of other people. The inner questions, passions and inspirations do not necessarily have to be shared. People are beautiful and they are everywhere. I can not expect others to understand my inner struggles (struggles I mean in a perfect sense of a searching) and you know what? I dont want to share my thoughts any more. I dont feel the need to be understood because I have that special little thing inside me (my unique core of existence - which everyone has of course) that I am happy to keep to myself. I will never stop searching not because i want answers but because it keeps me alive and interested and in love with everything! How boring life would be if everything was perfect and understood. 

Conversations with people about their views and values are amazing. I don't want to match theirs or them match mine - I just want to hear what else is out there because I am interested. I actually think that studying people is one of the most interesting things one can do - and its free. I think this is a very healthy thing to do as long as you do it in a positive way. It is not judging, it is observing. This however can very easily become a judging process so one constantly needs to remind oneself that everyone is equal. There is no better 'type' of person but only a 'different type' of person. Human relationships are difficult for exactly this reason. We are all so different but that in itself is the beautiful thing about us! The most unattractive thing is when someone believes themselves to be 'better' than others. That is when you can judge slightly by saying that that person may just be a little ignorant. Ignorant not in the sense of book smart or knowledge based intelligence but a kind of worldly ignorance that is the result of a lack of wisdom. It is sad but they will spend their life finding out slowly that their false perception of greatness is wrong. These are the people who are jealous, angry and sad. These are the people who do not love others because they do not love themselves. These are the people that do not understand that the beauty in the tiniest things is what makes our world great! 

Its okay though because these are the people who have lived few lives and as they live more and more they will change and evolve into wiser, happier people. They will convert their negative thoughts into positive ones and will learn to live with themselves in perfect harmony. It doesn't get cornier than that! 

There is something so tiny that can prove that being positive and kind can give you those two great qualities back. Going into a supermarket and shopping. It is definitely not the most enjoyable thing to do and it is definitely not the most enjoyable job. Working at the cashier, swiping lettuce, cheese and chicken. Watching as people rush and scramble past each other in order to get along with their lives. It is not a secret that a few of these ladies or gentlemen working these jobs may be a little on the rude side or just not in the greatest of moods. Do not be rude back. Do not react with anger or frustration. Smile (and not in a sarcastic way - that will blow their caps off) - this will not only keep your emotional levels happy but might just make their day a little easier. Its a win win situation. Be positive, smile and be kind - is that not what you ask of others?