The full circle of morality

Our society is in a tacit race with itself. Opportunities to stop and reflect are hard to come by. We are left with no choice but to prioritise. All of us have something to strive for and that ends up becoming our target, our mission. It shapes itself into the one thing that matters the most.

Seep into the mind of a father of three who works endlessly to feed the children he brought into this world through a woman he promised all the happiness she deserved. Empathise with his disappointment when he is handed his measly salary and he heads home to his children's cries for the toys they've been eyeing for months or his wife's latent expectation of the long overdue anniversary gift. His means are limited but his dreams, constantly being thwarted every day, seemed boundless at the same time.

He tries to make a little money on the side. Is it dishonest? Yes. Does he care? He has stopped caring. He stopped when he had to say no to his children repeatedly or when he had to take the frustration of a menial job out on his wife. He needs to make ends meet and he sacrifices his morals and integrity to do so. That's what he's been striving for. His reflection in the mirror mocks him with its blackened hands and dirtied face, but he has learnt to shy away from the mirror. The picture engraved in his mind is of his beautiful babies and the woman he loves. This picture urges him to push forward and continue, regardless of what road he takes. Because this is what matters. Morality can take a backseat because his priorities are different. Perhaps, God will understand and forgive.

Imagine what goes through the mind of the barely pubescent boy who works his fingers to the bone at the local run-down cafe? He knows his baby sister will starve if he doesn't earn enough to pay for her meal. He is all she has, and she is all he's left with. He knows accidents happen every day, which is why when his parents met their death in one, he was quick to accept it. His sister, however, is alive. He has to make sure it stays that way. Because, after all that he's lost, this is what matters — building a new life for himself and the only person he has left to love and call his own. He keeps at it, his once snow-white smooth palms, rough now and covered in blisters. He simply can't stop, can he? Stopping won't buy his baby sister sufficient milk. And so, he continues.

What about the infamous politician, with his beautifully crisp, ironed suit and his fancy black, bulletproof Vigo with numerous others as adornments of protocol? He is what he is. Risen from the ashes, an embodiment of one of the lesser known rags to riches stories. He feeds himself with festive feasts and exotic women alike, throwing gratitude out of the bay window overlooking countless other fortunes in his possession. For a man with decades of power under his wing after being miserably devoid of it, his body is programmed for one thing — satiating hungers of all kinds. Why shouldn't he? Because, for him, this is what matters — his need to reach that point of completion and fulfillment and his want to abuse the drug that is power.

The religious scholar limps into his place of worship with a deceptively warm and welcoming smile. His eyes fall upon the herd of young men, waiting to be shepherded under the promising umbrella of religion. He begins his sermon — a speech that has extracts from holy scriptures, which the scholar deems suitable for use, along with numerous interpretations he has extracted himself. Who will know? These men visit this place of worship simply because they are devoid of its knowledge and history in the first place. They need guidance, and guide them he will. He guides them onto the path he deems correct, for in his mind, the path he follows is the only way of life. It is how one must practice their religion — by submitting completely to its deepest folds and meanings. In his mind, he is right. It is what he has been taught and he will continue the teachings of those who came before him. Thus, he spreads it far and wide through every means possible. Because, for him, this is what matters. Uniformity and rigidity are, for him, essential pillars of life and so he spreads what he knows to ensure the continuation of his own legacy and that of those before him.

The local tutor heads to the school where numerous eager faces await his arrival. To call this set-up a school would be an act of ridiculing institutions all over and to call it run-down, an understatement. Yet, the children brave the scorching heat and challenging terrain with their bare feet, only to spend three hours with this miracle worker who imparts unto them gems and pearls of wisdom and knowledge every day. They must do so, for they have the burden of the dreams of their families upon their underdeveloped shoulders and the will to carry on and succeed. They can call it a day whenever they wish to for no one will question their absence. They do not, however. Because, this is what matters — the hopes, dreams and aspirations of their elders that they need to fulfill.

The very same is fuel for the tutor’s fire. With the dreams of numerous families dependent on the education he imparts, he simply cannot give up. He has the ability and the credentials to move to the city and seek a real job. But he does not do so. Because this is what matters. Not only to him, but to the little boy who plans on being a doctor when he grows up and the little girl who smiles at him every day and tells him she wishes to be just like him. It is what he must strive for.

Finally, we arrive at the nondescript office desk of a worn out activist, his voice sore due to his protests against evil of every form that has invaded his haven — his motherland. He quietly pens his next motivational speech down in this dimly lit, soul-sucking cubicle that had shaped its way into his daily routine for the past decade. His motivation is at an all-time low and why wouldn't it be? He was a single individual dreaming for a nation that had potential and power, which it overlooked and underestimated. He was a man dreaming for millions and at times, that seemed much too large for his own well-being. He has started to think that perhaps, certain dreams are much too unaffordable and the price one pays for them is much too high with no guarantees or security. However, he has to try and he will keep trying till his last breath. Because this is what matters — the lives of millions restored with the still-alive but diminishing dream of one man who has a lot more courage and valour than he believes is possible for a person to have.

The world comes to a full circle. People find what matters most to them and they do whatever it takes to make that materialise. They make mistakes, they lie, they cheat and they hurt others. They opt for underhand tactics or the path less travelled. Most importantly, they get over it and move on.

Is it right? I am no one to judge. Perhaps, those priorities can merge to pave way for an easier path where morals are of the utmost importance. Maybe, if we took a step back and gained an overall view of the aspirations of those around us, getting to our destinations would be that much easier. Maybe we need to stop racing against time, against society and against our own personal strength. If we are on this uphill trek, we might as well seek help and offer it to our fellow hikers. It's a long way up to our goals. And that is, after all, what matters.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2015.

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