The Constant Climb

It is a fight. One against all. No one said it was fair, nor should it be. If you were not informed coming into the ring, putting your gloves on quicker than you could have heard the news, it is most likely no one's fault. But that does not change a thing. You hear it ring, the bell. It's too late. It hits you right there and then, literally and figuratively, your opponent and yourself are no match. But again, that does not change a thing. For you are not fighting an amateur, or even a world champion. He's bigger. It's Bigger. You are fighting a monster, Alias: Stereotypes.

If you think I went too far describing it, I think I haven't gone far enough. It is not an easy task constantly going up against every single person's expectations but your own. Constantly trying to fill in that mold everyone has made for you, based merely on your last name, color or gender. What is even worse, is being treated as if you are in fact and exact clone of your fellow mold-ees. Indeed, people see what they want to see. I heard this saying by a journalist, nonetheless, quoting "Believe half of what you see, and a quarter of what you hear". After looking into it and based on past experience, I am not surprised I heard him say it at all. Why is it we have to constantly prove that we are not who people think we are, rather than devoting that effort on showing people exactly who we REALLY are? I pitty him or her who steps into that whirepool of controversy, but sadly enough, I sympathize for him or her as well. For I am no less involved than they are. I have discovered that this fight is an obligatory one. One not to be taken lightly or thought any less of. It is a constant climb. A climb up the steepest mountain, over the deepest of valleys, with the wind blowing in your face, and an ugly bunch of Hippocrates at the peak anticipating your every slip and slide, hoping that they will have the pleasure of seeing you fade away. I am sure this sounds a bit obscure, but I have no doubt that everyone can most probably relate. It seems no matter what you do, no matter how different you are from your peers –or those who seem to be-, you will always find yourself at that mountain. Because the fact is, that ugly bunch up there, wants to see nothing else than you falling. So, whether you make it or not, in their eyes, you will always be a failure. What saddens me is that some of those will actively try to force you down that mountain bank. So the question remains: How?!

I am one to believe that change comes from the inside out. Those people at the top could very easily and surely be you, without you knowing it. Well, at least now you'll make sure. If there were interviews to apply for that job – standing atop that mountain-, hypocrisy would indeed be a requisite. Put in mind that every person is as unique as the finger prints on his fingers. NO TWO will ever match! Therefore, reformat your brain to deal with that person based on your experience with him or her, NOT people who you might think are the same. If genetic twins have differences between their DNAs, I'm sure perfect strangers stand a greater chance. So change the way you look at people, and maybe, just maybe, there will be less people up there waiting for you to fall.

Define who it is exactly you want to satisfy, and why?! If I know I am a well mannered individual, why should I feel the inclination to walk in every room with a neon sign above my head saying it? Let your actions do the talking. And if that doesn't work, make sure you give that person a map to the top of the mountain, because that's where he belongs.