Have you ever experienced an unfathomable heartache? Something unexplainable that tugs at you and renders you vulnerable; the feeling is surreal, and most of us have very little knowledge in the matter. The extent of sympathy and human compassion is hardly concrete as there are different levels of responsiveness towards someone else’s sadness.
Many of us have, including myself, can only vaguely describe this feeling brought on by circumstance. You could be attending someone’s funeral, or to a much lesser extent, reading a bittersweet romance novel, and still feel compelled to cry in both situations. There are certain instances in life that evoke unwarranted feelings of grief from humans that may not necessarily be caused by our own affairs.
After I had finished reading Ruined by Lynn Nottage my heart sunk. I could literally feel every heartbeat as it slowed down and pounded harder. The palpitations soon became painful. There was nothing I could do for Mama Nadi, Sophie, Salima, Josephine, and everyone else who lived through the conflict in the Congo. The photographs at the end just made everything more real, these were not just fictional characters; it was based on what had actually happened.
I tried to reason with myself [to numb the sadness] by thinking of other instances in history where hate was resolved peacefully—I needed a more complete ending, an ending where Sophie had gotten that surgery, and Mama Nadi and the girls lived happily with Christian. I was being unrealistic.
Rape, female brutality, racism, genocide and war still exist today as they did when the film was written. Hate just never seems to completely disappear from history.
After we discussed the historical background of the play in class, I went home and reflected on what I had learned.
I thought of people. I thought of our world. I thought of how little appreciation we have for one another. I thought of Black Eyed Peas and their song Where Is The Love? I thought of what it meant to hate, to divide ourselves because of our differences, to kill one another and the result of our actions. I thought about the what ifs.
What if people collectively made an effort to help each other? What if we took action against inequality and suffering? What if there was a way to make life easier on us all?
Perhaps Lynn Nottage had thought about it too—she wrote a brilliant play that spurred political discussion throughout our class. She took a position, and tried to show us the ugliness of human nature. I could tell she put a little bit of her heart into writing Ruined and in doing so, she reminded me that I have one too.
You know what? We could all use a little attitude adjustment. Learn not to hate each other because of our differences and instead love for all the things we have in common. Ruined has taught me at least that much.
Take action. Voice your opinions. Be the difference.
The song I have been listening to as I write this blog has just ended.
People killing. People dying.
Children hurting, you hear them crying.
Can you practice what you preach?
Or would you turn the other cheek.
