Just a man

Just a man

Dreams… For some it is the most delightful word. But for others, it is the most painful word. The delightful side of that word can certainly lead you towards a happy life. However the other side of it... well, it may throw you into eternal despair from which you might not be able to rise ever again.

Being a published writer had always been Roy’s dream since he was in the tenth grade. He had dreamt of his stories travelling across the world. He had dreamt of his stories inspiring various aspiring people across the world. But the time had changed, and so had he. Those bright dreams were now locked in the dark room and the light was ambushed by the horrible darkness. Sometimes he could feel those dreams screaming for help, a single chance to shine again. Perhaps this time, they would shine in limits. However Roy highly doubted if he could let them out of their cage even for once.

That dream of being a published writer had brought him in the world of literature which apparently was different than he had imagined. Here the word literature meant to earn the money regardless the content. Fortunately Roy had learnt that in a short period since he'd arrived. He had assumed that being a content writer would someday provide him a platform to live up to his dreams and to shine again. But one thing he didn’t know was that this world had no space for light. Your shine would always be overshadowed by the various elements of life as well as the world.

Even after five years of being a content writer, he hadn’t written more than five chapters of his dream. He had barely written fifty pages. And even they were lost in the darkness of despair. At that day Roy realized that he wouldn’t be able to survive if his life continued to be such complicated. He had to make it simpler. And Roy knew that there was only one way he could do that. He simply had to make a choice. A choice that could either give him his happiness or it could make him just a man.

He could see two different ways leading towards two different destinations. He could see the barriers on both the paths. But he could discriminate their impact on his life. And then there was a moment to choose the path of his career. One of them would lead him towards a happy career and the other towards a comfortable one. While his heart was leaning towards the happy one, his mind was protesting with logical explanations that Roy knew were legitimate. As his heart leaned towards the happy career, his mind reminded him of the responsibilities he had been carrying along. It reminded him of his old parents, his wife and his children. It reminded him of the smiles on their faces and their comforts which were expected from him. And even if he succeeded to live up to his dreams, there was a fair chance that his works would never make it to the world. Apparently the happy path would compel him to sacrifice their delight in order to achieve his dreams. What kind of a selfish man would do that?

And when his mind leaned towards the comfortable path, his heart reminded him how delightfully he had seen those dreams and how passionately he had chased them… until now. Choosing the path of comfort would clearly be the end of his dreams. And what is the meaning of life without having an opportunity to chase your dreams? Life is supposed to be a personification of freedom, isn’t it? Is it worth to sacrifice all of these for their happiness? Perhaps it was, and perhaps it wasn’t. But the choice was inevitable. It had to be made. And Roy was not that selfish person who would choose his self over the people he loved and cared about. He was not that selfish to lock their future in the darkness so that his dreams could shine and breathe the fresh air. The choice was simple and so would be his life. He made the choice. He chose the happiness of his family over his own. He chose what any man would choose any day. He chose to be just a man.