Flashing Red

Remember that death is not the end but only a transition.

Fatal Tragedy, Dream Theater

Stoplight's flashing red and rain gently weeps at España Blvd. A long queue of motor vehicles was caught in traffic jam. I was standing in front of a convenince store. As an observing eye, evident from the faces of most of the people seem irritated for the wait is like eternity. Static. Not moving an inch. Stuck.

The human design is intended to make responses to his or her environment. We function as a "well-oiled" and "programmed" feedback mechanism, thus we have the fight-or-flight response. An individual tend to fight towards or flee away from stressful situations. Let me give you some real life examples to make it clear for you. Whenever someone is angry, a person may lash out violently or walk out from the scene. When sadness befall an individual he or she will likely fight with the negative emotions, recalling the scars of the past over and over again. Others may divert their overwhelming gloom to zombie-like TV viewing, partying all night, overeating and the like. Even worse, there are people who choose to slit their wrist or hang themselves as the greatest form of escape into this life.

Many people get stuck once in their lives. I am. Apathetic, anxious, disheartened, staring blankly from a distant. Feels like a dead man walking. In stress-laden scenarios there are times that we neither fight or flee, we stop. For the many, to die is to cease - the end of all things. But moment by moment we "die," in every blink of an eye we pause. From the instance that we get stuck, there sprouts our introspective nature and sometimes literally motionless. Being stuck is the fertile soil to grow and reap sudden flash of insights. And from those insights we become awake. Just like a second wind, a rush of new life to an ailing body, a thermal that lifts a plane, the wings that will fly us to the summit of enlightenment.

Stoplight's flashing green. Jeepneys, buses and cars throttle along the damp street of España Blvd. and off I walk home inspired - the Muse has arrived.