Hey, it’s been a while.
When I stopped weekly posts over here on Something Greater, I said I’d come back when I had something to say. From my silence, you could guess that I’ve had very little to say, but that’s not true. I promise I’ve tried.
I returned from travelling the world in April. I started in Paris in November and made it to Singapore in April. I then headed back home to the UK with a stop off in Rome, during which a new pope was being selected in the Vatican. I was also in Bangkok when the Myanmar earthquake happened. This was all rather fast-paced. But now I’ve returned to a slower life. Since my return, I’ve tried to find the words to sum it up; some grand summary to define it all. That was my first post attempt since I stopped posting weekly, but I didn’t make it past a few sentences.
I then tried again a few weeks later. I remain unemployed after returning from my travels. Ultimately, I love writing and learning, but the money that makes the world spin, and my lack of it entering my life, is becoming an issue. I thought I could write about this, and the world we live in, where we control so little. The fact that we need money to live is out of our control, and I once again questioned: Where do I go from here? I wrote this question out on the page, hoping I’d come to an answer, and once again, the words didn’t come.
It’s almost funny that the answer to “where do I go from here?” brings me to today. Once again, another potential post sits in front of me, and even now, I don’t know if I’ll find the words.
I’ve spent the weekend searching through sources for my post tomorrow for Geopolitics Explained, which will be discussing the escalation between Israel and Iran. This got me thinking about a conundrum that we all face in our world today, but we rarely question it.
Especially at times like today, when wars are escalating around the world, and Donald Trump continues to pursue greater power and control in the world’s strongest seat, it’s clear that countries have to be powerful to survive. In our world with no true authority, strength and power ensure that a country can fight against existential risk. If a country is seen as weak, somebody more powerful could take advantage. We’ve seen such an event unfold in the last few days.
But, on an individual level, we aren’t obsessed with power or existential risk. We want to connect with others, and we want purpose and meaning. On an individual level, we can trust other people. We want to love and be kind to others. Of course, we have disagreements, and not everybody exists in pursuit of such ideas, but the majority of us as individuals want to pursue what is deemed morally right.
As I pondered this idea of world versus individual, I realised that it hurts to even consider it. We all have no control over situations on such a level. This is chess at the highest level, and we’re all being used as pieces.
This grand issue made it clear that in my previous attempts to write, I was focused inwards. Typically, it’s when we look beyond ourselves and focus outwards that we gain stories, and the writing becomes easier. I don’t need to write about travelling or money, because to be frank, it doesn’t matter. But this clash, between states chasing power and us chasing meaning, that’s one worth pondering, perhaps forever.
Since I stopped these weekly posts, I’ve been seeking answers to my individual problems. But, as my writing efforts prove, time has passed, and I still find myself asking, “Where do I go from here?”. If previous patterns persist, I imagine I will continue to ask myself this question.
We live in a scary world, and we all have our individual problems that will continue to persist. We can’t control this, and there is seemingly no answer, but there is something we can do about it. If you’re lucky enough to be in a position where you can live in a world that attempts to eat you up and use you as a chess piece, go live. Even small, personal acts can help us live more meaningful lives in a world that attempts to stifle hope for a better tomorrow. Perhaps you should help somebody who is unfortunate enough to live life at the front of the chessboard. Because in doing so, we remind everybody that one day, we may reclaim the board.
And so, to spread the burden: Where do you go from here?