Bonfire Bandits

Drop everything you are doing and sit silently for five minutes, without a purpose and, most preferably, without a thought. At a glance, this task seems menially easy, but then you find it becoming increasingly intolerable as the seconds tick by, until you feel like your mind will explode if you stay immobile for another moment. This simple experiment speaks volumes about what the state of human mentality has become. Relaxing is haunting and the very thought of a second wasted is enough to make us feel like we are falling behind in the interminable race of life. 

With a throbbing headache and a heavy bag of books, I stood at the edge of the footpath, waiting for the traffic police to signal the surge of vehicles to halt. Classes had been especially tedious, and I wallowed in self-pity and frustration at the reminder that I had to complete three assignments due tomorrow. Mentally taking notes of what needed to be done when I reached home, my eyes wandered to the conspicuous sight of a bonfire on the footpath some distance away from me. Black smoke from it was pouring into the atmosphere, darkening the dusky sky. But there was something comforting about it - warmth in the literal and abstract form. 

From my position, I could make out the figures of two people around the fire, the body structure of a child and a man prominent through the smoke. They seemed to be moving rhythmically, the child’s arms outstretched towards the man, both swaying to music only exclusive for them. All the anxiety that I had mustered up from the day seemed to melt away, their delight radiating just like the heat from the fire around which they danced. The sight had me unexpectedly mesmerized - the simplicity of their actions betraying my feelings of worry, deeming them invalid in the presence of such modest expression of joy amid chaos.

The dancing duo did not pay heed to the irksome looks projected towards them from the passers-by who were hastily walking by to carry on with their pointless lives in hopes of achieving a materialistic idea of happiness. Little did they know that they were passing by a rare expression of true happiness - unfiltered, raw and passionate. Instead, they shook their heads in disapproval and laughed at the madness of the father and the naivety of the child, holding themselves above the pair, the air of commercialized sophistication filling their minds with unsolicited judgement. The child’s laughter broke through the mechanical sounds of the streets, bringing a breath of fresh air and dispersing the monotony of the rush hour.

I stood fixated, the scene taking an unexpected hold on me, and I could not help but smile at their uncomplicated nature. It would be ridiculous to assume that their lives were perfect, but the fact they allowed themselves to step away from overbearing responsibilities showed their priorities in the hierarchy of needs. In a world where happiness is equalized to how much money is in your bank, it was refreshing to see an expression of happiness which had no affiliations with finances. We are stuck in this rat race, always anxious about winning and being wary that no other person should cross us, when really, we are just spinning in circles in an endless maze of responsibilities in pursuit of a goal set by society, which then subsequently morphs into a bigger goal once you reach the first one, continuing until you die. A rather grim picture of reality but the realization of which is necessary to break free of this model and shun its false promise of liberty and greatness.

Escaping the mold would be difficult but not impossible. I carried on with my walk home, my mind swimming with thoughts of breaking down the walls of the maze and freeing myself. I walked away from the sidewalk with a quiet feeling of comprehension, as the embers of a fire of subtle rebellion began to spark inside of me, drawing energy from the blaze of the bonfire and its dancers.