Despair and survival

For anyone who’s been down or are on the rocky road of despair will know this feeling all too well. Its hopelessness 101. When all is lost and there’s just no return. When all you need is just one lucky lottery ticket, one miraculous break or the heavens to open up. It’s come to a point that it’s either that or the end of life as one knows it.

This very same feeling is synonymous with gamblers too. Who will for one last chance, place his entire ante on one last number, to hope for that make or break moment. Yet at the very same time, there are gamblers too, that know that life will still go on despite that last chip. And likewise, when one’s down the path of despair to realize that there will still be a tomorrow.

You’ve heard it many times over – that it’s always easier to despair than to make good on one’s life. And likewise with gamblers too, there is a stinging need to be “real to oneself”.

Retrospectively, I’ve heard many a gambler’s story on why they gamble. It’s because “at least they are being true to themselves”. There is still the need to authenticate one’s life. Funnily enough, people seem to think that their lives will be “more authentic” if they reached down their souls to find despair and that being happy is non-authentic.

Come on. I sometimes wonder why people seem to have this need to flog themselves in guilt and suffering. Let’s get this straight. Guilt and suffering is not authentication. What it is, is a blame game. When it’s not feasible to blame others, we seem to think that we should then, blame ourselves. Now, I’m one who believes very much in accepting self-responsibility, but I do not believe in blaming ourselves to the point where it becomes detrimental. Where there can be no constructive outcome but mere despair. That, is a disease.

So, while I would like to be able to offer answers in a pearl shell, I have none except for the following – “Because you must survive, regardless…”