Saturday, June 27, 2009

Theodor Seuss Geisel (March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991)

"Be Who You Are & Say What You Feel; 'coz Those Who Mind Don't Matter & Those Who Matter Don't Mind"
- Dr Seuss

In living memory of this great writer, cartoonist & animator, I dedicate this entry.
For the straight-forwardness of the quote above is as direct as it gets & as elusive as ever.


On May 13th 2009, I posted the above as a status update in my Facebook.
And no, it’s not because I am out of ideas that I am repeating myself, I just felt I did not do enough justice to this very meaningful saying.


Just how meaningful, that, we would have to find out.


Because in life, we cannot go on worrying about what others would think or say about us.
As the saying which I hold true: "I can’t control how I am perceived, but I can control how I am presented".


How much allowance is there to be true to yourself, remains a mystery for most of us out there.
For we are all born with a value; what some would know as "conscience".

I call it my mask.


We are restricted by this very value that brings us self-worth.
Knowingly or unknowingly, we are constantly reminded to "go with the flow", "when in Rome, do as the Romans", etc... for the sake of conformity.

W.T.F.?


While, of course, it is almost a pre-requisite in the factual world that we do not necessarily put ourselves "against the grain" most of the time, but does it mean we will have to banish the thought of freedom-of-expression, freedom from oppression & to be honest & true at least to the person who you are building your life to: Yourself?!


I can’t help but envy those who have this luxury.

The very idea that I can live the life I want, to be myself, say what I think & how I feel & be with the person I would want to spend the rest of my life with is so alien to me that I would probably need to unlearn a lot of things in order to finally grasp the possibility of this ever happening.


Maybe if I learn how to let go of my ego & not worry about how others would judge me, I may be able to at least loosen up a little.
(This is not to say I would just blindly go & do the unthinkable!)

Maybe the only way is to make more time for the people who matter, and truly be in the position to be who I really am, even for that short but enjoyable moment.

Maybe I should really get away from those who don’t matter, since they mind so much what I do, where I am, what I say or the way I present myself.


Because, at the end of the day, it’s not only about how many lives you have managed to touch with your sincerity; it is also whether you have been truly sincere to yourself.


Enjoy your weekend.
Because for once, I know I will.

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