• Societal upheaval takes the joy out of living, hence the need to tune out
Image: PIXABAY
A lot of bad things have been happening in the world lately. Nationally. Globally. Culturally. Socially. Literally every aspect of the human existence has been undergoing some kind of societal upheaval that takes the joy out of living. Wars, corruption, revolutions, social reforms, deaths, police brutality, insecurity… Everything has just been too much.
On one hand, you have the Kenyans and the Bangladeshis fighting for political reform. On the other, you have the Mpox spreading fast. The Palestinians still under persecution. Female doctors raped and killed in their place of work in India. Food prices and cost of living going up every day.
Given everything that’s going on with the world, one would think that it’s probably enough. Nope, every single day, something new happens that makes it sink even lower. Who would have thought that a doctor working a night shift would be subjected to such an inhumane violation and the hospital she worked for would try to cover it up?
It just doesn't seem to get better. Every day, the news brings us stories that make us lose our faith in humanity. Even politics and administration has become such an ugly competition filled with propaganda and discrimination. Good social media content creators are bullied off platforms, while the ones who stand for ‘wrong’ platforms keep getting rewarded with publicity.
TikTok used to be my distraction. It’s where I’d go to find tips on baby stuff, look up recipes and just scroll idly. Nowadays, one cannot get past a few scrolls without coming across a video that bears bad news. If you look closely, the last few months on X have barely had good trends. It’s always some kind of negative thing associated with a trend.
Right now, most of the global north is on their last legs of summer vacation. A good time for them to completely step away from their norm to do something relaxing. My driving instructor, who spends a good chunk of the year teaching practical and theoretical fundamentals of driving, just told me he will be off for two weeks. So where does a driving instructor go off to shut away the world? On a boat, of course!
He says he will be spending his vacation time sailing off the coast of Greece. Meanwhile, I’m spending my vacation time picking up poop and wiping pee off my wooden floors as I navigate the treacherous tides of potty training.
As I cannot give myself a physical vacation, I wondered if I can give myself a mental vacation. Away from the news, away from the horrors that are happening across the world. Away from desire, envy, competition, depression and so on. Just taking a step away from all the news channels and social media channels. For the next two weeks, it will just be vacationing in the serenity of my mind.
I know staying away from the world doesn't change the bad things that are happening in the world, but it changes you. It rejuvenates you to start seeking only the good in the world. To create more good people. To change the world one person at a time.