If you are continuing to read this, then I would like to warn you that you are going to undergo slight torture by coming in acquaintance with my views, opinions and philosophies which may or may not change the next time you see me. I am not sure how many fellow humans are going to read it to the end and I am not getting my hopes up. This ‘open letter’ is not written as a social commentary or a scathing criticism on people or events that happened in my life. Nor it is a plea for attention. Any similarity to actual events or persons, living or ghost, is purely coincidental. The sole purpose of this letter is to get some iceberg thoughts off me so that I can get my ship-head to sleep peacefully instead of drowning in ice-cold water while the orchestra plays for me.
I am utterly unhappy and confused, just like the 36% of the homo sapiens on this watery planet (and I absolutely don’t trust the happiness percentage of 64% of the people being happy, so there’s that). Now, we come to the question, why am I announcing that I am sad and depressed? You might ask, “why can’t you be like normal sad people? Go listen to some slow music and cry to your pillow.” But hey, where is the fun in that? Why not go around and communicate in such a way that people might think you are crazy? Who doesn’t love theatricals?
Somebody in some time period told someone else that being real and open with your feelings can help you lead a happy, healthy and peaceful life. I wonder which liar spread such a horrible lie. Like living a peaceful life, who wants that? Why do we need all that ‘modern’ thoughts when we have the conventional way of bottling everything inside until it burst out one day thereby ruining our life and happiness? Let’s just carry on the proud tradition of slowly dying inside, which is much preferred by our parents and ancestors.
It is an established norm that if you cry, then you are weak. There is no bigger heresy than to cry before people. If tears are your sweat from the eyes, then it is okay. But if it has anything to do with you being emotionally vulnerable, then it has to be prevented. It is highly advisable to apply the ‘doctrine of bottling up’ in such situations. Your achievement of a peaceful and content state is not worth the public speculation that you are a wuss.
There are two most truthful statements that can’t be contradicted in anyways (if you come up with any opposition, then I will follow the standard procedure of pretending that you don’t exist, which I have learnt from the government officials who have made secret pacts with the footwear shops. Or I will completely evade your questions which I have mastered from the religious enthusiasts who have an aversion towards logical questions.). They are:
Brutus is an honourable man.
Parents know what is best for you.
I don’t want to brag about Brutus now, so I am going to focus on the second statement. We must follow whatever our parents tell us because all they want you to be is comfortable and secure. You don’t have to think about your likes and interests because hey, parents know what is best. So, leave that little brain of yours and follow your parents blindly because that is gonna get you to the wonderful world of mechanical life that is going to remove slowly the uncomfortable feeling that is generally known as happiness. I wonder who, in this age, wants to be happy? What a strange sensation, right?
If your parents and society say “Don’t try anything new”, you better follow it. Because new is bad. New is dangerous. New is scandalous. We must do what every other person does and must not venture to find our own way. Everything has to be exactly like the way our ancestors who moved to this land did. Even if you are absolutely sure that you are going to succeed in this new prospect, what ever it may be, you must not pursue it as you will be ruining your parents’ legacy. Be like them and add this new prospect to your ‘old age regret list’.
Another point to remember if you wish to be an excellent parent in your future: do force your own dreams and aspirations to your young ones even though they have no interest in it. Continue to emotionally blackmail them to do it and tell them repeatedly that what you want is them to be safe and secure (even though some mad people declare that doing the things you love can make you happy and you will work harder with readiness if you love your job and it might lead to success and even if there is no immediate success, it can give valuable life lessons. What nutters, right? Who wants life lessons when there are machines?).
People may have expectations about us. There are a lot of people, hence there might be a lot of expectations. It is our fundamental duty to live up to all of it. Even if it kills you, you must not step down. Because what people say about us determines who we are. Pass it down to the younger generations until it suffocates them and make their lives a wonderful misery.
I sincerely hope that my wise suggestions have made their way through your very own brains. Getting naked with my feelings have helped me a little bit. But still, I am sad and depressed. Might use that Spotify and pillow later.
With Love, Anger, Confusion, and Unhappiness,
MUHZINA.