Radical Courage and Rampant Cynicism
What does it mean to have hope?
BY NITHYA VENKAT
There are days when I feel like I am covered in cling wrap. As if I have spent hours on a plane and am thoroughly jet-lagged, but I have no memories of where I’ve been or what I’ve done. Like leftovers in a fridge– covered in cling wrap.
But all that sounds hopelessly dreary; I apologize for being so depressing, but I think this reality has become something of a shared experience. The rise of the “Sad Girl Aesthetic” and the popularization of books like “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” display a growing trend towards apathy, like it’s cool not to care, specifically among younger women. The stereotypical sad girl listens to Fiona Apple and remains unfazed and emotionless about the world around her. She is aware of the globe’s problems but cares little about acting. And while in some facets, this trend has humor and relatability (I too spend many the night listening to ‘mirrorball’ by Taylor Swift and shedding tears to my Squishmallow), there’s a deeper, more concerning undercurrent: the message that the youth of today lacks hope.
But what does hope mean? How do we find hope? How do we find courage? Honestly, it beats me. I think my therapist is sick of me talking about it, my journal is tired of hearing about all the ways I want to change, and I am tired of thinking about it. But there are things, beautiful things, that find ways to bring light: there are the ways the leaves change, the way the moon has phases, the way the bird's chirp, and the way that turkeys on this campus have a particular way of walking. It might sound stupid, but I am inspired by the routine of every day: the feeling that somehow, besides the weight of the overwhelming and crushing reality we all seem to be experiencing, the seasons will still continue to change; the feeling that, even on my worst nights, I can look up and see the moon and its beautiful phases; the feeling that Taylor Swift is still there with her soft crooning and relatable lyrics; and the feeling that no matter what, my tears will always be there to clear the dirt off of my face
So where do I find radical courage? I find it within the small hours of every day I find it in feeling like being covered in cling wrap at times and, at other times, feeling like bliss; I find courage in knowing that despite it all, I still have the power to feel.