Talk Straight-- you never know how long you'll have that opportunity.
I have always heard these words, spelled out in different ways throughout my life. And though I will offer it as advice myself so many times to others, I can never seem to follow it myself.
When someone asks me what is wrong, my usual go-to reply is "nothing", often accompanied with an indifferent shrug, a happy-go-lucky shake of the head. And most often, this is true. But those times when the nothing escapes my mouth, I realize only seconds later when the person is walking away that I could have been honest. I could have told them of my stress, my anger, my annoyances, things that make me sad. I could have said all the thoughts inside my head, whether happy or sad or just plain angry. But I never do. I just sit there and let another opportunity to TALK slip away.
It has come to my attention several times. In class, among my family, talking with sisters. They ask me what is wrong, and I reply exactly the same way. "Nothing!", "I don't know!", "If I had something wrong I would tell you." Often leading to an argument, these words are not always true. Is it lying? No. I honestly have no answer to that question of how I am. Most often, I am happy like my general persona lets on. But like all human beings, sometimes there are those days I just don't feel like doing -- well anything!
It is not only about how I am, or how any of us is. It's the person that hurts you but you don't defend yourself. It's the guy or girl you glance at countless times in class but never say a word, only endure your heart breaking every time he/she looks right through you. It's the one who says they no longer care about God or religion and would sooner party that go to church. You care about these people, you live day in and day out in the same home with them (yes, the world is like a BIG house, with the places we live like the rooms we escape to for shelter). Most often, you are going through the same annoyances and pains as the person sitting across the room from you, but you never notice them because they are over there, and you are here, and we're all too scared. Too scared to smile at a stranger, too frightened to say hi to the one you've loved for so long, too afraid to be HONEST.
But we don't have very long to be. I'm not those people who preach that the world is bound to end soon if we keep heading down this path, or to say the apocalypse is on it's way and we all better watch out. But what if? Ask yourself. And really think. If today was your last day, what would you do? If you had six months to live and you had two options: speak every little thought inside your head, even those that might change your life? Or would you still bite your lip as you walked past the one you secretly love? It's easier to do that, yes. I myself go through it. Would you say hi to every person you shared a sidewalk with, or would you frown and avert your eyes?
There are many people in the world. And by many, I mean millions. And each one of us are completely different, with so many view points, opinions, traits, flaws, likes, hobbies, loves, hates, pet peeves, things that make us individuals. But hey, have you thought. One thing that we all have in common, that we share no matter what, that we ignore or forget about or think it's not relevant in our every day lives. We ALL have a soul, a spirit inside us that is totally unlike the others but still the same, it's a beautiful thing that gives us a voice, through silent expression or through the most beautiful song. And if you place your hand on your chest, you'll feel that heartbeat that makes us ALIVE. But what is the point of living, if we cannot let our souls shine through our eyes, through our words, through our expression?
If you feel love, express it. If you are lost, call out for help. If you are scared, look around. You'll find we all are. And then look up, and try to realize that we were given a gift. That gift is life. We need to open that gift, and shout our gratitude to the world around us by simply LIVING.
