Bound

We're all bound by something--to someone. Every one of us. Bound by friendship, bound by blood, bound by honor, bound by duty. Some of us, bound by secret. But what do we do when those bonds are broken and we're left standing alone? Do we dance a celebratory dance of freedom, waving our arms wildly in the golden streets as the trumpets sound and the angelic chorus chants? Or do we remain there, lost, broken, confused with the lacerations of our chains still burning brightly on our skin? Who do we reach out to in the darkness? Who is there to hold your hand when you're left alone? -Me

I've been recently thinking about why people do the things they do. Why governments lie to their people. Why friends betray each other. Why lovers go their separate ways. Why parents hold secrets....

The conclusion I've come to is this: Security.

Whether we'd like to admit it or not, the human race is a very fragile state of being. We act, think, and feel according to a preset set of emotions or behavior we have learned throughout the years. And while we may boast these attributes as superiority over the rest of the animal kingdom, it seems to me our greatest adversary. Why do we worry about what other people think of us? Why do we feel pain in our hearts when we are betrayed? Why does it all matter?

Security. We bind ourselves to others because we want to be bound. We desperately hunger for the attention of another because somewhere deep inside us, that means we're worth a damn. Someone cares. Someone has taken an interest. Someone listens. Someone thinks you're worth their time. And time is the one thing we all hold near and dear to our hearts because it is the one disease we cannot treat nor cure. With all our technologies, we cannot manufacture time.

It has been said that I pay way more attention to my friends than my family. In the words of my sister, "I live for my friends." I hate when she says that because it's simply not true. Yes, I do enjoy spending time with my friends and will try to help them in any way I can should they ask. But that isn't to say I wouldn't do the same for my family.

But perhaps she has a point... Why would I "live for my friends" over my family? I think it's because they chose me. My family is there no matter what, I know that. My family has been there since my birth (some even before then)and will be there throughout my life. But my friends... They have their own families. Other responsibilities. Other things their bond to. Why bind themselves to me? How can I bind myself to them? What's keeping us together?

We're all bound by something--to someone. Every one of us. Bound by friendship, bound by blood, bound by honor, bound by duty. Some of us, bound by secret. But what do we do when those bonds are broken and we're left standing alone? Do we dance a celebratory dance of freedom, waving our arms wildly in the golden streets as the trumpets sound and the angelic chorus chants? Or do we remain there, lost, broken, confused with the lacerations of our chains still burning brightly on our skin? Who do we reach out to in the darkness? Who is there to hold your hand when you're left alone?