What's the prize?

jacqueline | Jan. 26, 2023, 11:08 a.m. Practicing Writing

It's an exhausting race we are running. It's a long one that's for sure. There's a place where everyone is heading and trying to get there first. I see it as the tippy top of a mountain covered in dreams full of expectations and golden ribbons. I see people climbing and let me tell you that the weather is definitely Mount Everest. Windy and cold, dangerous and steep, but people still keep climbing no matter how many have fallen. Categorized as sheep. 

It's like we were built with blind faith that at the top where all your dreams come true there is approval and applause, but on our way there so many left behind never to see the top. And with every step, there are less and less of us to make it. Suddenly there's a race and we are running. We don't want to be another left behind. While on the journey up these tall peaks, not many of us turn around, lend a hand, and pull someone up. It's a selfish desire to brag that you made it without any help. That you got to the place covered in dreams and gold. To triumph over all the challenges means to be the strongest and most resilient. So, we climb and pass the ones who never made it. We ignore all the warning signs of the danger up ahead, because we are filled with desire and greed. 

We need to be the ones who win the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. So, we climb and bleed and let our tears fall in silence, because no one can know we are weak. We are the strongest and can brush past the scared and frozen hands reaching up. As long as we make it. So, we climb and climb, leaving so many to their weak fragile fate. We are not here for them we are here for ourselves. To be the winners of this game we don't remember signing up for. 

But there is a funny thing that happens when you finally reach the tippy top. Your dreams come true, and you get your piggy bank, some soft pillows, and a cashmere sweater to shield you from the cold truth. You never turned around, you never brought anyone with you, so as you watch that sunset so beautiful fall between the peaks, and sip from your golden cup alone. You think to yourself for a moment...Did you really win? Or are you the biggest looser? 

Maybe the ones who never made it were saved from the suffering of solitude. Fallen surrounded by their friend's side by side in the struggle. 

At the top of that beautiful mountain, you finally take a second and turn around to see your path behind you covered by those little moments where you struggled together. But you made it alone. You've gotten your applause by all the strangers who made it too. Surrounded by unrecognizable faces smiling and cheering you on. So happy for themselves and for you to be a part of them.  

The strongest most resilient of the crowd. Then the thought crosses your mind that maybe you weren't meant to be the strongest in a group of strong people, that maybe you were the strongest for those who were weaker than you. To be there for them, but here you are amongst the strongest feeling weaker than ever. 

If you could go back and do it all again, do you think you'd stay behind the slowest ones? Make sure no one fell, and we all made it up together? Would you make sure you caught that hand before it slipped because you took the time to turn around and see someone about to fall? 

How many more big homes will be built to be empty inside? Maybe one day the person having this bad dream will wake up and realize you don't win anything actually if you do it alone. 

Good luck out there.

As always,

Thank you for reading <3