By Wayne Allen R. Cagatin
It’s okay though, we all are. I would never mean to insult you, dear reader, because well, I’m stupid too. No matter one’s position is in life, there’s that annoying feeling of regret after every seemingly irreversible step, word, item bought, or choice of outfit for the day. “Could I have done better?” Probably not. A mistake haunts us like it’s a reminder to be sad.
We are the best, most advanced version of ourselves right now, equipped with all life’s shiny new software updates, yet why can we still feel like we missed something? It’s because we’re stupid. Or we could assume that we are doing so well, life’s going our way, and we’re making the right choices, then in one moment, it all goes away, how come? It’s because we are stupid.
Life is kind of stupid as well. Think of it this way, it wasn’t stupid to spill the milk on accident, it’s stupid to lick it off the table thinking you intended to do that. It’s stupid to assume we can have everything, nor will everything go our way. It’s stupid to think we can know everything, then be disappointed to be proven wrong. We may feel less than because we feel the need to do more. It’s stupid to assume we have to be more.
“How weird was I then?” As one looks back through old photos resenting who they were. But what did that person do o you? Weren’t they living life the best they could? Weren’t they the one who brought you to where you are now so that you can look down from such great heights? Or one says “Why am I not like that now?”, looking back and longing for a better time. Yet what happened to all the time now? What makes you say you can’t be? What’s stopping you from being happy? Are you sure that’s it, or is that an excuse? There’s a difference between being and acting stupidly. One knows they can do better, the other is naive.
I like being stupid. It gives me the comfort of knowing I am flawed and worth forgiveness. It keeps me humble thinking, “Well, what do I know?” as the world surprises me. We all think we know so much, until we learn lessons harder than our heads, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. What is stupid is giving up. Look, I don’t know you, dear reader, but there’s something you’re going through, and you might feel like an idiot not being able to get through it, or you feel like you’re wasting everyone’s time. No effort is without reward when there is belief; belief that you’re not the best, belief that the best is not the goal, belief you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, and belief you don’t need to be anyone else other than you. It’s not stupid to think you can do better. It’s not stupid to believe you can try. I haven’t said anything you didn’t already know, you just forgot, because you’re stupid, and that’s fine.