Achilles' Heel

In spite of all the love and hope in the far corners of the world, I see only the small, dim light surrounded by shadowy unknowns. Living in this late-stage malignancy is much like wallowing in one's own filth: we grow accustomed to the smell. Our inclinations are to stand idle.

We'd prefer to think that we are in the eye of the storm, with tone deaf musings like "It's been a rough few years, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel!" We've been so comforted by our slumber that we simply cannot fathom a reality where our security is ever at stake.

Laboring under a system that has grown beyond accountability tends to reverberate the hidden hopelessness. What purpose do I serve in this machine now? Are my basest desires and needs simply cannon fodder for a disease that's metastasized to gross proportions?

This disdain demands to be front and center, though we'd much rather pretend this feeling is further away. Swept up in the vapid and unrelenting march of soulless consumerism, my fellow man is preoccupied and numbed to the proverbial rug being ripped out from under them.

Though many are falling prey to the trickery and blatant lies, the numbers of those pushing back against the great hydra are growing daily. Discontent is rapidly paving the way for a total narrative change. Whether or not this will be successful remains to be seen.

Many before myself have aired their grievances with mixed results. Countless retellings of revolutions, uprisings, and insurrections have both delighted and horrified humanity, regardless of their success. These events have uncovered enemies, known and unknown.

The tenets of autonomy, free will and the right to personage we so proudly tout in our Declaration of Independence, though it is really an echo of times by-gone that is rapidly losing tone and clarity. We inch ever closer to the deep, murky waters of total singular rule.

Coupled with this looming threat, my fellow man has little empathy for one another, and the little he does show exists within a vacuum. Rather than identify the root issue, we take solace in battling one another. Lest we see the common enemy's weakness, there is a caveat.

Identifying vulnerabilities is only one part of the equation. Like in chess, we must strategize and anticipate the opponent's possible moves. Every single thing on this planet, be it a living organism, or an oppressive power structure, contains weak points.

This knowledge is the great exception - the wild card. Like Effie Trinket said, "May the odds be ever in your favor."