A Modern Parable

 

a part of Excerpts from the Heart

Excerpts from the Heart is a sub-narrative of the larger "Excerpts from the..." series. 

The "Excerpts from the..." series tries to capture those fleeting, incomplete thoughts that run across our mind as we daydream and let our mind wander to the "what if's" and "what about's" of life. Each excerpt will be different; some may contain an element of fantasy and metaphor, and others might be awfully realistic and painfully transparent. Below is the first one. 

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Entertainment was all it was, really. Something to fill time with, something to keep us giddy. Why is it so hard to process that something was nothing? Because even sweet nothings are something. The experience within itself is a story - the exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and of course, the resolution: is our heart at rest, or is it aching heavy by the end? Even the most mundane encounters turn into fairy tales and Bildungsromans in our heads. And as much as I am disheartened that all I was to them was entertainment, I have to collect myself and remember that they were also entertainment to me. Perhaps a sad heartbreak novel I lived through instead of read, but unequivocally entertaining nonetheless.

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Patterns. It’s all the same story told in different languages, tunes, beats, ages, flavors. Modern parables told again and again by our parents, siblings, best friends, celebrity crushes, and gushy Netflix originals. We know something’s not worth it, but we like to live and breathe it to really confirm it. Just reading about it and hearing songs about it doesn’t do it justice - we want hands-on experience of flailing in lava and stooping way below our means and standards. It’s a part of life that shapes us. Regardless, Ariana Grande summarized it the best - Thank u, next.

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Thank you for reading! As a writer, you don't owe anyone an explanation for what you put out there. I still feel the need to justify my work sometimes. And even saying this much is a cry to do so, but I'll try to leave more of my writing up for interpretation and end my sentence here. To clear any air, this isn't anything recent or specific. It's more of a collective commentary on modern relationships (situationships?). Imagine you're not reading something from me, Niki, but rather something from the 18 year old weirdo neighbor of yours with a pet bunny. She's quiet, but her thoughts are loud. Cheers, Niki