It seems like there are two ways to look at the world. Black or white. "No," you say. "There are all sorts of greys, all sorts of middle grounds. It isn't just black or white. It can't be that." But it is.
You can see the degeneration, the corruption, working its way through society. You can see the side of culture where drugs and sex are lifted up like gods. You can see the highest suicide rates in history. You can see the teens who've dropped out of school. You can see world poverty. You can see the pain and the suffering and the wars and the trials and it's black. You can see the disinterest in learning among children, the inexcusable immaturity even in adults, the disobedience and rebellion of the rising generation. You can see the economy taking another dip. You can see the government falling and other nations rising up as potential world powers and you know it's not just pessimism speaking because this is real. The statistics are real. The issues are real. The people are real. You know them, you see them. You are one of them. This is the black. The trouble. The darkness.
On the other hand, you can see the hope, the resurgence of courage in this time. You can see the intelligence and potential in the youth. You can see culture as a way of passing on creativity and the arts you can see the joy in children and their love of life and learning. You can see the love and the generosity of others. You can see the incredible development of others and take joy in the way they think and act. You can see the peace and the prosperity and the happiness and it is white. You can see the potential for great leadership among the coming generation. You can see the bright light not only at the end of the tunnels but along the sides, illuminating the path. You can see the successes of others, the developments in technology and science and medicine. You can see the ideals that made us strong and you know it's not just optimism speaking because this is real. The solutions are real. The goodness is real. The people are real. You know them, you see them. You are one of them. This is the white. The anticipation. The light.
We view our present, our past, our future, in black or white. No, it's not set in one view or the other, but it is there. Sometimes I find myself thinking things aren't all that bad. That the world is better off than people make it out to be. Other times I see beyond these propped up versions of reality and realize just how far decayed it really is. But it's not just one right and one wrong. It's both. It's black and white mingling together like water and oil, together but never combining. Never in the same view. Sometimes certain issues are white and others are black. But never grey. Nothing is grey. Maybe the gray is just an illusion- the flickering of white and black going so quickly back and forth that we can hardly realize they're separate. Black and white. Water and oil. Two ways to view the world and they cannot seem to coincide. There's always more of one or the other. More white. More black. More of that mixed up concoction called Grey that we drink up to make ourselves feel balanced. To feel like the hope stems from a problem and is therefore purposeful. To feel like there these problems are temporary and maybe things aren't so bad as we think. Black and white and synthetic greys. Unavoidable. Inescapable. And most certainly part of being Human.
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