Equaling Oblivion

By Anonymous

Art by Kennedy Ferguson '20

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What makes oblivion so frightening, so sharp with terror? The idea of permanence. Every individual committed to true activism wants their exertions to affect lasting results, enduring change. Yet, oblivion is the very opposite of that tangible progress we all so desire. Its power is in its elusiveness, its ability to loom over us without revealing its true nature. In our secret doubts, our hidden fears of lasting reaction, lies oblivion. Yet, there too lies bravery. Social bravery and oblivion cannot exist without each other. In all our drives towards the light, we cannot march without a certain lingering frailty. We are strong because we are, in the deep recesses of our minds, vulnerable. We are conscious because we are blind. We are active because we are complacent. Why? Because we have potential. It is the knowledge of our own vulnerability, blindness, complacency, and tendency towards oblivion that drives us forward. It is because we can imagine a reactionary world that we can work for a more forward-thinking one. Though oblivion, our dystopian conception of a decayed and formless society, brings terror, it is also a dynamic catalyst for personal activism. Our fears give character and form to our hopes. As we labor for our ideals, we must recognize oblivion. No void is truly empty. In oblivion, we may find that chimeric impetus for action.