Puzzle //ˈpʌz(ə)l // "cause (someone) to feel confused because they cannot understand something..."
The past months have been a blur of news: a President of the United States who banned far too many people from entering the States ; two terror attacks on our very doorstep; celebrity weddings, celebrity deaths; a snap general election. Those are just the headlines.
In the midst of it all, here we are, trying to discern our place in this bizarrely uncertain world. It appears that daily, something happens that makes us angry, sad or puzzled. Our digital existence only seems to make matters worse, with twitter debates raging on; opinions rife.
Recently, I've been puzzling over how to absorb news better. And by better, I mean not ignoring it altogether (as is the temptation when faced with another story about Trump or which political party has said something ridiculous this time) but simultaneously not having an emotional meltdown because of it (as is the temptation when faced with the above). And I'm not really anywhere with my conclusion, yet.
We are all living in the same world, facing the same news. Often, it might not seem this way - the wealth divide grows ever larger, the gender gap strikingly obvious, the political gulf between groups appears more polarised than we've known - and yet, we are facing each day new, together.
This big picture may feel wishy-washy, but faced with a news that's all too realistic in its presentation of facts, it's helpful to remind ourselves of the basics. We have the same craving for love, security, attention, success, care as our fellow humans.
We are all striving to create the world we want. And yet we will never be able to agree about what that world should look like.
When I was a bit younger, I wasn't so bothered about changing the world or engaging with the news, or writing impassioned, opinionated blogs. It was for other people, I reasoned, because my voice isn't loud and I won't be heard and it's not worth bothering.
What I failed to realise is that simple basic point - we are all living in the same world, and whether we know it or not, our choices are influencing what that looks like. I often wonder what would happen if every person in our nation was asked what they truly wanted to change - and what would happen if these things were taken seriously.
I also wonder if, perhaps, we humans are more similar than we think. I imagine that a good majority of us would desire stability; peace; equality; justice; a chance to thrive. What would happen if regular people decided to stand up and be passionate about what they believed was important?
The main problem is that so many of us feel like our voices aren't actually significant. Yet, more than ever, we live in a world where the news is changeable - and we are the ones who can make change happen. Our voices have never been more audible - through social media, blogging, vlogging, voting or petitioning. Our actions have never been more significant - through protesting, voting, spending, investing, giving and praying.
I want to absorb the news better. I don't want to be apathetic about the things that are happening - whether that's in my town, or my nation, or my world. I want to play my part in actively (not passively) striving to create the world that I want - one that's more equal, generous and fair to people.
And when nothing seems to happen? And when things go wrong? I want to keep going. Because it's important that we do. We're all in this world together, and we each have a part to play in this puzzling puzzle. But our pieces are pretty vital and can make an impact to the finished picture.
Let's change the world.
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