Beyond the Neon Masks

Preface

The world is vast, immeasurable in its complexity and multifaceted nature. Problems and worries, like shadows, pursue us daily, relentlessly following our every step. We race along this endless highway of life, never looking back, afraid to see what we've left behind. Sometimes, in rare moments of clarity, we try to stop, to catch our breath, but an invisible force—be it society, circumstances, or our own fears—drives us forward again, into the unknown.

I am like a voice in the wilderness, constantly trying to shout: "Stop! Just for a moment!" My cry drowns in the noise of everyday life, but I continue to call out to everyone: "Look back at your past, remember who you were. Look beyond the horizon, beyond the boundaries of the familiar world. What if somewhere out there, in the unknown, there's something bright and beautiful? What if we've needlessly transformed into soulless puppets, mechanically performing learned actions?"

Perhaps somewhere deep in our subconscious, among the debris of shattered hopes and unfulfilled dreams, a tiny ember still smolders—the expectation of a miracle. This ember, barely noticeable but still alive, can burst into a bright flame if we allow it.

Where is that line, that turning point when we lost ourselves? When did we cease to be those naive, hopeful people we once were? Maybe it happened the first time we fell in love, opening our hearts to the world and becoming vulnerable? Or perhaps when we were first betrayed, shattering our trust in people and the world?

I don't know. No one knows. Even when asked, "Who corrupted you? Who destroyed your faith in goodness?" I think we wouldn't be able to answer. No one knows the exact answer. Not even ourselves. We live in circles, as if caught in a time loop. On repeat, like a broken record, playing the same fragment of melody over and over. We make the same mistakes, step on the same rakes, learning no lessons from the past.

What awaits us ahead? What future are we building with our own hands, our thoughts, and actions? Why have we become so cruel, cynical, indifferent to others' pain? Why have we stopped believing in miracles, in the possibility of changing the world for the better?

Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that we've forgotten how to stop and listen to ourselves. We've forgotten how important it is sometimes to get off this crazy highway of life, sit on the sidelines, and simply think: "Who am I? Where am I going? What do I really want?"

Maybe we should look into each other's eyes more often, seeking the reflection of that sincerity and purity we once lost. Perhaps we need to relearn how to be amazed by the world, as children do, seeing wonder in every blade of grass, in every raindrop.

The world is indeed too vast to understand completely. But perhaps our task is not to understand it, but to live our lives consciously, with an open heart, never losing the ability to believe in the best even in the darkest times. For it is this faith, this small ember of hope, that makes us human, capable of changing the world for the better.