We Differ

In college I studied culture, I studied psychology. I studied almost all the sciences there is.
As soon as I stepped out of my university I was quite certain, I had learned all I needed to learn in order to survive the outside world. I was under that impression. But I was wrong. Nothing can ever make us prepared, in any ways, since we are clueless of the future ahead. For several years, I have met several kinds of people from different walks of life. Different age, different culture, different language, different lifestyle. I have had my share of good and bad experiences with them. Some of those moments made me smile and some of those made me cry. I even built dreams and saw them crumble day by day. 
However, none of these ever made me regret. 

I was able to see the disparity of humans. I learned how culture, education and mentality affect how people behave and treat others. Each one of us is unique. Our attitude may vary but we are built with the same emotions. Our brain may contain variety of knowledge but our hearts feel exactly the same emotions. HAPPINESS, SADNESS, LOVE, ANGER. We feel the same pain, just different intensity from different sources. We hate, we love, we deny, we accept, we desire. We all desire to be happy. It's everyone's ultimate goal. Oneness. 

However, in order to achieve it, we are faced with millions of paths to trod. And that's where we differ. Our culture, our knowledge, our training, our character dictate which path to choose. Human as we are, it is needless to say that we definitely choose whichever road reaches the destination the fastest. We are all climbers. Striving to reach the top. And any professional climbers out there will agree me when I say that the one who climbs with lesser or no load at all, is the first one to reach the top. 

When I came out of my mother's womb, I was naked. I had nothing. I had no load. I was a light climber.
I could have climbed faster. But then I was too young to even take a single step in life. I needed to grow. As I grew up, I met people, I earned possessions, I learned and I will always be learning. I am no longer bare. I have baggages. These baggages are my possession, my people. The people I took in to be part of my life. In short, the people I have loved and love. Then climbing is getting harder and harder. Not just my climb for I am not the one one who desires to be happy. Each of us feels the same way. We all have our own load. At some point, we may even be someone's load. 

We don't need to study Physics to understand that in order to move faster we must lessen the weight. And that's where we differ once more. Some of us pursue and endure the heavy weight until the end. We carry them no matter how slow the pace is. Some of us let go. We let go of the people that weigh down each step we take. At this point, we have one thing in mind, go light, move fast. We leave them behind and hope that someone else picks them up, catches them and if not, hope that their fall is not deadly. As we drop them off, we pray for forgiveness which we know we might not get.

Scientifically speaking, we are equipped with the ability to discern and to forget. And for those who choose to drop off some load, I believe that they are fully aware of their ability. They are able to discern which ones to leave behind. The less is always the first one to go. 

This is not where the fittest survives. This is where the most valued wins. 

Yet no one can tell if their action is right or not until they reach the finish line. For this is where the universal emotion, regret, sets in. After all the achievement, we look back for we have the gift of memory. We recall the journey and the load we leave behind. And once more we differ. Some of us get the contentment and the vindication that the decision is right. Some of us insanely wish to turn back the time because what has been left behind is the one and only thing that matters in the end. 
The one and only thing that makes the climb meaningful.



- KIMIRA 
7/27/10