I had no online classes today, so I chose to sleep for thirteen hours. Don’t judge. Thus, for today, here are some very important questions I have been wondering about. Maybe help me find the answers?

This generation feels too much, but does too little about it.

Yes, I know that is a big statement to make but tell me honestly, did I not strike a chord that you didn’t want anyone to know existed?

“Now I hate myself because I found out that I can no longer be happy without you even though you broke my heart” –is scribbled on a bench in a grade 7 classroom. I marveled at the fact that a fourteen-year-old felt that way, but then I remembered, when I was in seventh grade, a friend wrote my name with a blade on his forearm to confess his love. Weird. Crazy.

A classmate of mine smokes a packet of cigarettes in a day and says it is because his father never showed up for him when he needed him the most. Foolish. Nonsense. 

Every time my friend and I have a difference of opinion, he will start posting sad, heartbroken quotes on his stories until I message him to sort things out. Childish. Pointless.

So if you step back, and take a look, you will see that everyone is capable of feeling emotions so deeply and yet be so ignorant towards them because addressing something personal would break open doors to rooms you locked away years ago.

Ever wondered why do we put quotes on our social media accounts when we are mad at someone, in love, heartbroken, or lonely; why do we choose to drink some alcohol or smoke a cigarette or roll a you know what when there’s a little inconvenience thrown in our way; why do we hate on the teacher instead of looking at our mistakes when we score fewer marks on a paper; why do we lock ourselves in our rooms and blast up some crappy music when nothing makes sense; or why do we blame our parents for everything in life when something does not happen the way we planned it to? Why? 

Sit back, take a deep breath and think.

Are we too shallow to accept the truth; too self-centered to look at our flaws; too petrified to face the reality; too lost to find contentment; too superficially to show our true selves? Are we so scared, so insecure?

All these questions and we still choose to make tik toks, memorize our entire Instagram feed, binge watch every movie or show on the internet. It’s because we subconsciously know the answers to these questions but are too scared to say it out loud. We are too scared to talk!

We have a lot of time in hand since we are all stuck in our homes, saving lives. People, social distancing is the only cure. So, please stay home and wonder about all these questions.

Let’s get real. Shall we?

Yours truly,

Jasmita Shah