05.11.15: Asphyxia

It is a harsh moment in time when you realize that nothing in life is certain. Everything can be lost; everything is breakable: the sturdiest of buildings, the most courageous of personalities, and the most loyal of bonds. I watch us all--all things wither. The beloved Republican proclamation of equal opportunity is nearly as laughable as "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger." This may be true, for a time. Until, the clock's hand strikes the wrong mind's chord. And, instead of strength we gain bitterness, apathy, and lost hope for all things benevolent. Our bones weaken, and our eyes darken. We become lost souls in a world that is so disposed to overly-auspicious proverbs. "Everything will be better in the end," "don't give up," "the sun rises after the darkest storm." How much optimism can we really feed ourselves when the world is spilling over with war, starvation, disease, and inequality? Are we force-fed these maxims in order to hide from the real truth? That never, will there ever be even a second that passes in this universe without villainy. 

As humans we are both patrons and observers. I watch as we wither, as the world spirals into mayhem. Yet--we still pretend that everything will be ok. Why?

Everywhere around me I see life for what it really is: spontaneous, unrelenting forces of nature which produce outcomes of no true meaning or sense. No, we are not the "rulers of our own destiny," we are but rulers of time. We can sit here all day and hope for the best, when hoping and praying will get us nowhere. We are only promised a short amount of time in this world, and death. Can we not just forget about optimism; can we not just remove these rosy-colored glasses and see this world, this universe as it is? 

Every second is lost; "we are dying all the time." "Everything that is made is broken." "We are all born to die." These are the true quotes, the ones without kindergarten censorship and flowery embellishments. These are the ones that should be truly motivating for us--to wake up realize that your most loved possession, partner, or place, will one day no longer exist. But it does now. 

Ilford Delta 400 // Canon AE-1