Life is all about beauty and connection. And the sunshine is what reminds me that the simple things that I sometimes fail to notice are perpetually present - whether I am paying attention to them or not. It comes down to a conscious choice. I can choose whether to do things the hard or the easy way; whether to slow down and count my blessings or become stuck in the swamp of mundane problems. Failing to see.
Humans have the tendency to feel guilty when they are too happy. Occasionally I compare myself to the world around, and subconsciously feel the need to sabotage all that I'm given. Love, money, beauty and health are unfair advantages that I have. Living in Rio, I can't ignore the fact how lob-sided the world is, and the dichotomies are everywhere. I walk on the street in Leblon, and see the affluent drinking coffee on a terrace. Just around the corner lies a cripple, begging for spare change. There always has been, and will be, inequality and injustice. I feel that somehow I need to compensate. If I can't solve their problems, perhaps I can equalize the world by being less glowingly happy myself? It is a choice. And after careful consideration, I decided to allow myself to continue being happy - to continue bask in the beauty, the wealth, the joy of life. No matter how selfish this decision sometimes seems to me, I am certain that self-constructed mediocrity and forced misery are not the solution.
My choice is to appreciate and guiltlessly marvel at all that I have. The proximity of the aquamarine waves combined with the salty breeze, the crisp sunshine, the jovial colours of women's dresses, the potent smell of freshly baked cheese buns. The perfect obedience of my limbs to perform anything I ask of them - dance, jump up and down, or stretch. The simple pleasure of having a cup of coffee watching the busy streets undergo their morning rituals while I'm quietly watching, with my notebook in my hand.
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