"Stop the world, I want to get off from it!"

The phrase that Mafalda never said, but that now many of us might be thinking.

The first time I read this well-known phrase, which was attributed to Mafalda*, I was about 7 years old, and I thought it was funny.

It reminded me of the feeling of being on those spinning carousels in the park and how my brother and my cousin - older than me and my cousin - would spin it so fast that I felt as if my head was going to detach from my body, Afterward, I would get a terrible headache and wondered why that game was intended to be funny. - or safe for kids even! That's how I imagined then that Mafalda would feel to say something like that.

Quino's Mafalda.

Now, with the current political climate, the immediate exposure to information, and how random, and not, the content is according to the algorithms of social networks, make me understand perfectly the feeling of my favorite cartoon.

There has been a rise in right-wing and extreme-right parties in several countries around the world, an oligarchy in the United States expanding at a thousand per hour, massive deportations, lack of empathy, signs of xenophobia, the elections in Germany, a vulnerable Gaza Strip population, systematic violence against women... There are so many things happening at once!

The best representation of how dazed my mind feels is spending 10 minutes scrolling through social media. Jumping without preamble from creative, comforting, joyful content, to videos capturing xenophobic groups, masked and carrying the flag of fascism, showing up in public places, so without any sense of world history, without any moral remorse.  Then you jump to the next thread, and it's a Telegram user exposing a group of "organized" criminals to s+xually abuse women they spend time with on a daily basis. The next thread is an influencer giving away tickets to go to Disneyland, and the next is a guide for migrants: “Know your rights, what to do if you are stopped by an immigration officer.”.... The threads go on and on.

And of “X”, Twitter - in my mind, it will always be Twitter - better not to talk about it, there it is better to just skip it altogether due to its levels of toxicity being on par with Chernobyl.

In this age information travels fast, and reaches us wherever we are...Believe me, I was very happy enjoying Threads, when the Sean Puffy Combs case caught up with me, and since then I keep looking for the algorithm to bring me back to the safety of creative content, art, architecture, normal people trying to get more than 10 reactions to their thread, and steer away from negativity.

I find myself in that back-and-forth of wanting to peek into the world I live in, and also to cover my face when it becomes too much.

I listen to the news frequently, in Germany it is almost impossible to get in the car and not to listen the news of the day. Sometimes I follow them also in electronic media, trying to get general facts, while putting my mental health in the balance and avoiding reading the details of the most heartbreaking news. I find myself in that back-and-forth of wanting to peek into the world I live in, and also to cover my face when it becomes too much.

Leaning on our talents

Recently, Jennine Jacob, a person I have followed and admired since the days of #IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers), explained in a video shared on Instagram and Threads how her sense of reality is being challenged, and she wonders how so many people can go about their lives as if nothing is happening in the world. “I can't pretend that everything is okay, when things aren't, okay. How can I show myself in an authentic way when the whole world is changing?”. She then proceeds to question herself in front of the camera, how she can wake up every day, try to be happy, or “connect with what makes her happy” (as a response to advice from her group of acquaintances, who motivate her to build or find her own happiness).

Jennine explains that by doing what she already does best, which is providing advice on style, personal presentation, and more than that...(like helping them to be visible and feel comfortable being themselves, and empowered to express themselves), she gives meaning to her life.

Her argument, very concise and very well presented, resonated with me.

In the last month, I have found it difficult to write, paint, and do the things that I love the most, or that I consider my creative contribution to my little circle. Somehow I found no “real” justification for creativity, expression, or even fashion when my reality - as Jennine explains it - is being questioned.

I am convinced that no matter how bad things are going around us, it is important to take the time to be grateful for everything that is going well, no matter how “simple” it may seem. When it seems like the world is falling apart, be thankful that you have hot water in your house, that you have a bed, that you can make use of your senses, and that you love someone, that someone loves you... And the list goes on.

And what am I bringing to the table?

It's in finding the value of our small but important contributions to the world, that we give meaning to our lives.

What more would I want than for a miracle to happen and for one of the world's political leaders to read one of my articles and put himself in the shoes of those of us who are migrants, and work, pay taxes, follow the rules, and seek to make our lives peacefully; and that suddenly his perspective will change.

Maybe the chance of that happening is almost nil, but that takes nothing away from the great likelihood that someone in my circle of acquaintances or reach of this blog, will read the same article and feel understood, and perhaps less alone. So, even if my opinions are not going to directly generate agreement on immigration policy, it will have value in the moment when other people feel identified. Or maybe my reel about the reality of living in Germany and having to carry firewood for the fireplace will make someone smile who is not having the brightest of days, and with that the meaning of this blog, and its materials, will shine again.

As I told you here, this blog started as a fashion blog, then with different personal ups and downs and changes in what my reality was at the time, I was told that it was not the time for fashion. Now recently, again I felt that it was not the time for creativity, expression, and taste for life, but I couldn't be more wrong. Taking a cue from Jennine's speech, it is precisely now that I renew my commitment to myself to highlight the gusto - read as love, gratitude, joie de vivre, and more - for life... which is an essential part of this blog.

In addition to the talents that each of us can share with the world, there is also our attitude, our good faith, humanity, kindness, and even affective responsibility! When the world seems to be falling apart, and suddenly it seems that we can simply lose faith in humanity, let our actions and our day-to-day life be an act of that goodness that the world needs so much.

My actions may not make a palpable difference in world politics, but I can define my life, either by the decisions I make or fail to make.

Now, I am not advocating that we allow outrages, when it is necessary to raise our voice and put a stop, please do it, that is also a way to contribute and support each other. From there, we go back to focusing on what we do want, and how to give what we want to receive.

In summary, in the face of the uncertainty of world politics and economics, and the ups and downs of personal life, go from the general to the particular. Avoid the frustration of feeling that there is too much to change or achieve and that the scope of your actions is limited. Focus on you, regroup your strength, find your balance and move forward.

En las palabras del Dr. Wayne Dyer:

Peace isn’t something you ultimately receive when you slow down the pace of your life. Peace is what you’re capable of being and bringing to every encounter and event in the waking moments of your life. Being peaceful is an inner attitude that you can enjoy when you’ve learned to silence your incessant inner dialogue. Being peaceful isn’t dependent on what your surroundings look like. It seldom has anything to do with what the people around you think, say, or do. A noiseless environment isn’t a requirement.

To those who read this and are also in search of peace, positivity, and harmony, you are not alone. It is a matter of paying attention to what you want, and you will find it.

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* Mafalda is an Argentinian comic strip created by Quino. Six-year-old Mafalda is a character in the strip who cares about humanity and world peace with a serious yet innocent approach to problems.

**Fragment of "Be the Peace" by Wayne W. Dyer:https://www.drwaynedyer.com/blog/tag/be-the-peace-and-harmony-you-desire/#:~:text=Peace%20isn't%20something%20you,silence%20your%20incessant%20inner%20dialogue.

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