By Katerina Bonderud, TIWP Student

It’s that moment. What moment? Well, what moment comes to mind? I am talking about that moment when you realize everything will be okay. It’s when you have clarity in the chaotic roller coaster of life, whether it comes out of nowhere or from a movie that gave you hope, or after a moment you took just for yourself.

“Everything will be okay” is what they say. However the words are spoken so blandly that they don’t penetrate the skin. It’s sad how there are so many things said that need to be heard—truly, deeply known—that just go over someone’s head. Even for those who listen and are looking for that safe haven, words don’t always fully make there way in.

Things can be said, but it’s up to us whether or not we hear them. This reminds me of how we blame our feelings and actions on others. No one controls our actions. I wish people knew this, that we control our own thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sure, people may influence these things. But at the end of the day, we are the ones who did what we did.

We humans may be puppets, but we do not have strings attached to our mouths and our muscles. We are puppets to society. What do you mean? We let the norms and trends influence us so greatly in our day to day life. We lose our words, thoughts, and rights through the opinions of others. But you have to know one thing:  no one cares about what you are wearing. They care all too much about what’s going on with them to care about you. And if they do care what you’re wearing, well, that’s just out of a sense of inferiority.

All of us are egotistical, to the point where the word needs a new meaning, a new refined definition. We often label others without knowing the story behind their actions. Everyone on the street, on the train, at work and school has sh*t they are dealing with. But in the end, we get to choose. In the end, everything will be okay.