Powerless Queen

We have established that a queen has vast powers that come with great expectations. She is charged with the care of her kingdom like a mother to her young. Most often she is left to contend with her kingdom’s burdens whilst dealing with her own battles. At times she is unable to find a quiet time for herself to gather her thoughts and find her bearings because she is constantly on guard of the welfare of her kingdom. To whom much is entrusted, much is also expected. This is her way of life.

Endowed with towering responsibilities, a queen is always up on her feet. One would assume that being accustomed to a strenuous life, a queen would have a boundless strength that allows her to carry the burden of her kingdom’s welfare. Little do her subjects know that she too has her own battles to fight. It may be a general lack of in-depth knowledge of the queen’s life or a conscious state of oblivion that estranges the subjects to their queen. Whatever it may be, placing such a heavy burden upon the shoulders of one person eventually takes a toll on that person. For this queen, finding a balance between what is expected of her and her own desires is nothing more but an idea – one that is left to the winds to be carried up in the sky like a balloon that has accidentally slipped off a child’s hand. Try as she might, she does not possess the ability to fly. She is powerless against the winds that have carried her desires into the sky, never to be seen again.

This state of helplessness is not without comfort. There are those who genuinely find joy in dedicating their lives to the service of others. It is a noble virtue that speaks volumes about such a person’s character. While this queen may be far from being such a selfless individual, she truly desires to be able to affect the lives of others in a positive and meaningful manner. Don’t we all? We do of course. It is our nature to care about the welfare of others especially those whom we value dearly. What this tells us is the undeniable bond that we share – our humanity. However, recent events around the world make me question the nature of our humanity. Mass shootings, wars, famine, conflicts, territorial disputes and so much more have been on a steady rise around the world. These conflicts are multi-faceted that it has become almost impossible to break them down and determine the cause of such derision between people.  

It terrifies me to read the news in the morning because it is expectedly brimming with news of more conflicts. The news has become so dismal that I sometimes find myself consciously avoiding reading it. What you don't know won't hurt you. Perhaps, but only if you think of yourself and your circumstance as exclusively divorced from the rest of the world. However, you and I both know that we are all interconnected in some way. A case in point is the financial crisis of 2008 that has hit mostly the economies of the first world countries but had a ripple effect on the rest of the world.

This perhaps is the reason why a queen's subject may consciously stay oblivious of their queen's predicament. It is easier to ignore conflict especially when it does not affect you directly. Why would you care when you already have more than your fair share of battles? Why spend time thinking about matters that do not concern you? Aren't we supposed to mind our own business? In order for us to find a common ground, we would have to agree that there is an ocean of difference between poking your head around other people's private lives and exercising our humanity. To exercise our humanity is to allow ourselves to become an instrument of peace in a world that is plagued by indifference. It requires us to partake in effecting positive change towards the lives of others especially strangers. There are a million different ways that we can do this and it always starts with ourselves. It starts by training our minds to care about the welfare of others, be aware of their needs and consequently come up with ways in order to conduct ourselves in a manner that is considerate of both our own needs and those of others. It is easier said than done, then again, the things that we value most are those that we have fought for vigorously and with determinate conviction. Let it be compassion and empathy that we strive and fight for. May it be a conscious effort to find ways to effect positive change in the world

Hopefully, this, while they may only be words, effect some positive change in your life even by just telling you that you are not alone. You and I can use our voices to call out hate and give encouragement. Someone once said that an honest voice will always be louder than a crowd's lies. So let us work together in exposing the lies that ignorance begets and spread the truth that we are all one, no creed, race, religion, fear or culture should ever tear our unity apart - our unity as humans. 


xoxo



QB