We Are Falling Short

When we are silent after 30,000 people are massacred, we are falling short.

Alone, we might not be able to do much, but when we are silent after 30,000 people are massacred, we are falling short. When we dismiss others' suffering by pointing at our suffering, we are falling short. When we don't defend our country from diminishing tropes, we are falling short. When we talk about our greatness, as others talk about our flaws, we are falling short.

I have been failing humanity. My career and overachiever traits indoctrinated me into not discussing subjects I didn't have social proof on. I told myself I could not call myself a writer unless I had a book. I told myself I could not comment on the genocide of Palestinians unless I dissected The Quran and Torah. I told myself I could not defend minorities' rights unless I were one of the billions of people living on $3.20 a day. There are injustices worldwide, big and small, and even if it feels like we can only fight for the small ones, at least we can fight.

More of us should ask ourselves how much we would have to lose before standing up for what we believe in. No matter how small, there must be a hill we would die on. Skin in the game doesn't reward you with support but with the satisfaction of doing what's right. Why expect influencers to say what we can and want to say?

Though I might feel minuscule, I will more often have these difficult dialogues, no matter where I or others stand, because, to me, living a meaningful life means holding to this ignored idea that we are all worthy. Someday, nothing might be left to discuss but how long it took to get to the other, better side. When we obsess over what people will think, we fall short of what matters most.

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