Sparks of a Thought

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
― Oscar Wilde


Life is a funny thing. We spend all our time trying to survive in the world that we forget how to really live. Not the 'breathe, eat, sleep, repeat' routine that we have all mastered - but the real type of living. We are not immortal. We know our time can be up at any point. The hands on a clock can stop and the beating of our hearts can too;  yet why do we act like we are invincible? Why do we believe that nothing can get in the way of our superior lives? Anything can happen, yet we still take our lives for granted. 

It seems that we have a selfish desire for life, to see how far we can push it either by rising above others no matter the consequences or spending the days doing the bare minimum. Is that really a life worth living?

On the other hand, some people live to make themselves happy; mothers and fathers, or husbands and wives. In the process they sacrifice a part of them and forget who they are as a person. Perhaps they still have their own life to live but have to compromise to reach their dreams. Is it that hard to be happy?

One's definition of happy is always different to another. A singer in a band could be happy because he spends his days doing what he loves; but is that all he lives for? A mother seeing her child succeed in life could also be happy, but has she fulfilled all her dreams and wishes? We take it for granted that tomorrow will arrive, that the sun will set for another day. But what happens if it doesn't? What happens if it was to be your last day? Would you be happy with how you lived your life? Have you completed all the things that you set out to achieve?

If I were to answer that question, it would be a no. Yours would be too. No-one can be satisfied. As humans we are always wanting more than we can have; whether it's that holiday you were planning for next year, or the M.A course you decided to enrol in. The truth is, none of us will ever be truly happy. It's ok though - we only have this life to live so why take unnecessary risks, to not achieve something you wanted so deeply? Why set yourself up for heartache when you are comfortable with the position you are in now?

As a consequence we will always be riddled with the question - What if?

What if?
 

You see there's no real ending....

.... It's only the beginning

I sometimes think that this world is too real and fixed on the proper. What is to say that what is right is wrong, and what is wrong is right. What happens if the "mad" people are actually the sane ones in the world, and the sane are actually mentally unstable. Society today shows us what is deemed improper. I am not justifying certain mental states here, such as those who kill or cause any harm to others, but the types that use such an enormous part of the brain; creating worlds of their own. Such usage of the brain is liberating and imaginitave. Certain mental illnesses are not what they seem.

Take a look in the mirror. You have a choice. To look at yourself and see what rules and conditions who have been brought up with. Look at how you choose paths in life. The "right" paths. The ones that are deemed socially correct. See how your every day language changes when more rules are placed upon you. See how your mind is only capable of being creative to an extent that doesnt push boundaries. You dress how you are expected to dress. You speak your mind when it is acceptable, but you edit. That is what the world is - an edited version of what it should be.

Now this is where an option appears.

Do you continue to follow the norms as you have done since growing up, or do you take another path? One that is "wrong". One that is socially and politically improper. Do you choose how you use your mind? Do you speak freely no matter the consequence; to speak the truth? Do you dress how you want to against social norms. Do you dream of your own world and see it in the real one?

The mirror is a gateway to your life. It shows you exactly who you are. The imperfections, the "perfections". It provides a second conscience. One can certainly add make-up to hide away dreams and fantasies. Or it can create an outlet to who you really are. The one who pushes the limits. The one who isnt afraid to stand out from the norm.

For me, I am one of those who hides behind the mirror. I only show what people need to see but in honesty. I dream of a world were nothing is real. Everything is not what it should be. I want to see what my creative world would be in reality, where people are not restricted to gender roles, or ruled by the stigma of madness.  

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
 That is according to Einstein. So who is to say that someone is insane when they really arent. We all dream every day, every night expecting a different outcome; is that insane? No. It's what life is all about.

What would it be like to live in a world, where no one was deemed mad, insane, or crazy? Were no-one judges you for the weird things you say, do, wear. To live in a world were I am restricted in my ability to dream, to create, to believe is the correct definition of insane.