Letting Go Takes Strength

The Daily Haiku for April 28. Letting go takes strength.

No regrets or hopes,
endless yearning or sorrow.
Letting go takes strength.

Much like in Europe, while Southeast Asian cultures are very different between each other, many of them share a common trait.

People live in the present. A lot of people are happy with what they have, or what is "provided" to them. A tuk-tuk or taxi driver would work only until she has enough money for the needs of the day (lunch, dinner, perhaps a small purchase). A monk would wake up early to go from door to door, asking for something for breakfast.

People live unstressed lives, worrying only about the most immediate aspects of their lives.

That makes them look happy and unconcerned. However, as a European, I could not help but feel worried when I imagined myself living that kind of existence. They don't have social security, and healthcare is so expensive, that it's out of reach for most of the population.

What if I get sick? Or if my car breaks?

Still, you see those smiles, and you realize these people are happy. I don't know how well they will endure bad times or fucked up situations, but I'd dare to say that maybe better than us, Europeans.

I'd like to say I can imagine myself living that kind of life, like a privileged first-country citizen would type on Instagram from their Macbook laptop while taking a sip of their Starbucks coffee. But I can't.

I don't think living completely in the present is really achievable or even advisable. Shit happens. While it is cool to think we are prepared for everything and will accept with Stoicism everything that the universe may throw at us, thinking a little bit about the future, and remembering the past is a healthier way of living.