When the Only Constant is Change

Mahnoor Sargana | Islamabad, Pakistan

The soft rustle of the leaves was almost ironic in everything rugged and deadly. It comforted Alison in the most unique way. Almost as if it was a lullaby to ease the sleep she dreaded every day when the sun wrapped its glory; since she took on this endeavour.

Despite all the dangers the geography of the region promised, she knew it mattered very little. Life is dangerous all on its own. (Maybe that is the charm of it.)

Taking a deep breath, she settles on an eroded rock, thinking of how unappreciated the blush armchair in her study is! When you have nothing but a survival backpack, she thinks, everything seems unappreciated.

For her second night in the mountains, Alison contemplates her decision to be there again. Deep down she knows this is doing her good, but a part of her, is also impatient. And it tells her otherwise.

Looking up, she is confirmed that nothing compares to the magnificent star studded night sky. Twinkling like diamonds. The crisp, clean air; the cloudless sky. As clear as Alison's mind could never be. Maybe that particular notion sent an impulse to go back to the skyscrapers: to learn more and more, to be 'busy' and thrive in doing things to stay the track.

The track which took many turns to walk on, and is probably changing its course as we speak. The track that lost its initial and very integral destination, to the one that is existing but unknown. And Alison has been running on this track, keeping up with the world but not herself.

As conflicting her mind was, the chance to get way from the chaos, promised her time to sort her brain. To make it full of less buzz about everything, and more about only a few things.

Another thought makes way to her brain: Humans do like to start afresh. They especially love to initiate anything by cutting off everything they believed had them in its fold. Like, starting to workout from Monday; as if all the unhealthy diet of the week before would evaporate. Even if that was exactly what she was doing, and believed it to be senseless: Alison knew it worked.

A smile creeps up on her face. She chuckles at how cliche this all is. "A trek to find your true self and to get away from chaos of the world". In her opinion, nothing solidifies one as a millennial more than this. And a millennial she was, she acknowledges how hard it is to stay true to oneself when the entire world is seamlessly interconnected. When you make more friends following a trend and the world is just running, pausing - even for a fraction of a second - for none.

She also accepts that after school, you never get an answer. Or find something that universally solves everything.You just evolve with everything, answers and meanings shifting.

When 'the only constant is change'.