nothing

I used to remember my philosophy teacher in college when he said, “nothing means something.” Nothing is not absolute. We often use this word to hide something which means a lot to us. Nothing also reflects our mood and perspective towards certain trivial or not-so-trivial things in this chaotic world. Somehow, we also use nothing to create a sense of mystery to some people hoping for a grand reaction in the end.

As I try to situate the word “nothing” in my life, a lot of things are becoming significant. These are the things I have directly or indirectly taken for granted because I am preoccupied over other things. I have been existing in this world for twenty-two years but I have yet to feel the ecstasy of LOVE as they would say due to the absence of a romantic affiliation in my life. Technically, I’m part of the NBSB club which has a negative connotation to the majority and a common topic as well, of teen and women mags published in glossy papers, not even containing an iota of political relevance.

In political parlance, “nothing” spells everything like being guilty over a controversial dealing, or an act of cover-up over something, or the much sought-after refuge of passivity and apathy. In every nook and cranny of establishments that we could think of, nothing means a lot of things. The point is, this word has become a widely accepted alibi such that we do not try to think of the moral aspect of it. A practice that evolved into a norm for most of us.

Nothing also rubs a negative sense of feeling. This word makes you down, depressed or feel low because it connotes “the lack of” aspect which all of us experience in varying degrees. As much as we want to inculcate in our mind to practice the mantra of “positive thinking,” but our social, political an social aspects show otherwise. Everyday we see senseless murders on television, we read endless corruptions of public officials of the people’s money, the unbearable and sad aspect of poverty. Here, nothing takes a different turn because some of us are guilty of doing “nothing”—the sin of omission. Within our power and capacity, we have the will to do something but we let the opportunity pass because of so many reasons or justification perhaps?

These “things” will continue to haunt me during my sleepless nights. On the other hand, all these things makes my life worth living as I continue to look for the beacon in the endless sea of difficulties and uncertainties. Perhaps, I would just try to humor myself with Garfield’s line, “We all get heavier as we get older because there’s a lot more information in our heads. So I’m not FAT! I’m just really intelligent and my head could not hold anymore so it started filling up the rest of me! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!.”