Many people reduce the Revolution to Jan 25 or the 18 day-sit-in and protests.
This is a false representation and a counter-productive approach. It sedates people into thinking; we just sit-in-Tahrir and other squares for another 18 days and we can fix all the evils, corruption and apathy of 60 years.
Every small act counts. Every video shot by some mobile in an obscure police station and published by a blogger documenting torture and police brutality helped raise a new awareness that the old regime's ways of "doing business" could no longer be tolerated. Every article or even a comment made, contributed to the formation of a new thinking. Every small demonstration, even by 20 people, shattered the wall of fear and apathy. Every call to oppose corruption and power monopoly, has added to the accumulation of a collective will of the people. Every politician who challenged Mubarak, his regime or his NDP monopolist party contributed to building the momentum of the revolution. The revolution is all of that and reveals itself in each one of those acts. We can not and should not reduce it to any single day, week, month or year.
Be not discouraged that your small act may be fruitless. In fact, for 99.999% of the things you do, you are unlikely to see a direct impact. Stop thinking in terms of immediate KPI and ROI indicators of every act. Each step, if taken in the direction you believe to be right, will take you closer down the road in which you want to advance.
There is no single act which alone can provide the ultimate fix. In fact, there is no ultimate fix. Life is a walk and not a destination. The walk itself is Life.
The Magic Pill can seriously Damage your Health. Waiting for the magic fix or the single act which will solve all problems, settle all debts and make one and every one happy ever after, may lead to total apathy.
At the final analysis, we do not really change the world. We change ourselves. And before long, the world gradually becomes a very different place.
Yes, you seek certain destinations, but these are like road posts, arbitrary milestones or beacons which may help one decide which direction one should take.
You just walk guided by those signs and hope to improve the odds of reaching desired destinations. But it is the walking that cumulatively makes up life and not any destination. It is the quality of the long walk which makes a good Life.
And let me bring you some news my friend. There is no single righteous road for all of us, even for those of us seeking the same destination. Just like the river, branches each go in different directions avoiding obstacles, to meet again forming the big river, tirelessly marching towards the sea. Or not.
May you have a good walk my friend. May you have a good Life.
This was written as a humble tribute to
