Are We There Yet?
In a wonderland, a group of children learned about a mysterious place called the “there.” This “there” was depicted as a place where they would grow up to be happy and successful, a place they often heard about through social media, books, movies, adult conversations, and society. Because the “there” promised to be better, brighter, and more colourful than their current lives, the children couldn’t wait to reach it one day.
Yet, the “there” remained an enigma. Everyone had heard about it and knew of its allure, but no one seemed to find it. People searched for it through stacks of papers they accumulated, things they might never use, and a social life curated on social media to show they were “there.” Despite these efforts, something always seemed to be missing. They tried various things repeatedly, hoping to finally get “there,” but its location remained elusive. No one dared to ask where it was, afraid they might reveal their ignorance about how to reach it. Instead, they secretly followed others’ footsteps, read books from people who claimed they had arrived, and followed social media influencers who appeared to be “there,” all in the hope that one day, they too would arrive. So, they kept going, kept searching.
But what exactly was the “there”? What if everyone was mistaken? What if they had all been told a lie to help someone else build the “there”? The true location of the “there” remained unknown. What if there was never a “there”? What if, instead, there was only the “is”? The “is” that has always been, whispering and trying to tell them that the “there” was always a lie. The “is” was with them all along, but they were too accustomed to searching for the “there” to notice. Society had taught them to look for the “there,” even though the “is” was always present, faded and unrecognisable.
Animals, for instance, never seemed to seek the “there” or stress over finding it. Some said this was because they were not “there” animals; they were the “is” type, living harmoniously with their environment and in the moment, at peace with the “is.” Yet, humans’ relentless desire to be “there” threatened the existence of many animals, who might not be here much longer.
Infants, too, laughed so freely, unaware of the “there.” But as they grew, people kept providing all the “there” to ensure they would reach it. Families became busy, striving to take everyone to the “there,” forgetting the importance of being the “is” as a family. They blamed the younger generation for not appreciating the “is,” but they had never been taught how to.
Why was the “there” so important? What was the “is” that made everyone so impatient? Could they stop thinking about the “there”? Could they change their mindset to realise there never was a “there” in the first place? The “there” was a folktale, a construct to drive consumption, as it was the only way to measure the success of a “place” and “power.” People kept saying, “Let’s go ‘there,’” but where was the “there”?
People continued to invent more “there” in the hope of getting “there” quicker, despite the opposite being true. They dug into the earth, thinking they could find it “there.” They built taller buildings, hoping the “there” might be up high. They created faster ways to travel from A to B, thinking the “there” was through speed. They cut forests, polluted oceans, and consumed more, believing this might help them reach the “there.” Yet, the more they built, destroyed, innovated, and invented, the further away the “there” seemed to be. At one point, they even initiated massive destruction and sent people to the moon, all in the hope of proving they were “there.”
What if people started to say no to the “there” and opened their arms to embrace the “is”? Was it too late, given that everyone was heading towards the “there,” and the force had become unstoppable? If someone chose to embrace the “is,” would they be left behind? How easy was it to see people walking towards the “there” while deciding to stay with the “is”? Were they courageous enough to do that? Embracing the “is” meant being left behind, as the “there” moved faster than ever before.
What if they stopped telling children about the “there” and told them the truth: no one had ever found the “there.” Instead, they could encourage children to embrace the “is” because the “there” had never been as real as it seemed. They could stop asking children to name the “there” for themselves, stop telling them there was such a place, stop building technology to help them get “there,” and allow them to just be the “is.” Could they tell children it was okay to say no to the “there” and just be the “is”? Could they?
