Incendies

by Sofia

“Un plus un ça fait deux, ça peu pas faire un.” 

In this world, one is judged on the number of fires they start, but they can also be judged on the number of fires they end, including their own. When we are born we are fires, let loose in the world, we can be taught to hate and we can be taught to love. We do not choose to be fires and yet we can be and are nonetheless. The world surrounding us can fuel that fire and at some point, it is up to us to put it out. The question is, how does one put out their own fire when they are surrounded by other fires? How do we break a chain of hatred and war when all we've been taught is hatred and war? 

We search, we discover, we keep moving, even if that means we'll create more fires because there's no use in burning forever in the same place if there is a chance out there to change. We must recognize the fire that has been ignited in us and recognize how damaging and disruptive it is. And how, although it is not our fault, it is up to us to put it out before the same fire is reignited and the chain continues. We are not born ourselves, we're not given the chance to be, it is up to us to find ourselves. 

Some choose to remain and let the wind guide them to ignite more fires and keep the chain going. They recognize the hate they are taught and continue to learn it, perhaps it is because they believe there is no other path, simply the path they were assigned. Perhaps to them, there is no other world, simply theirs. Maybe this is because they are too afraid to discover a new world, they might find comfort in familiarity and prefer to stay put rather than go on a journey filled with uncertainty. The world moulds us, and perhaps they've been moulded to the point where they can never change. This is why we must put out our own fires, we cannot depend on others because we do not know whether others are capable of change. We cannot expect others to put out our fires, because they are busy putting out theirs.