About Walls And Sanctuaries

“Born as a boy, I’m taught to not feel
So I found a way to suppress it all
My walls are tall”
– Walls by Ruben

Just let these walls rise up.

There is no point in trying to climb them or to tear them down, as I will always keep on making them grow until they reach the heavens and maybe even beyond. I am fed up with the lies I hear daily. My walls are there to protect myself from what it means to be trapped.

I do not want to talk about mental health anymore. I do not want to talk about feminism. I do not want to talk about male or female stereotypes. I want to forget about Lebanon, Ukraine, Brazil, the United States, Russia and whatnot. I wish to erase the thought of cultural appropriation and religious misinterpretation from my mind. I want to forget about racist conservatives and self-victimising liberals, both of whom give a bad reputation to the values they seemingly try to defend on social media. It seems to have become a national sport, yet without ever taking proper action towards a constructive dialogue and properly coming up with solutions to make this world a better place.

I do not want anything to do with the world anymore.

I just want to get lost in music and sports, without a single care of what is happening around me. I do not want to have to wake up every morning with the desperate need of listening to the Financial Times, resulting in a sombre start to the day. After all, it is always the same: “Bad news. Bad news. Even when it is good news, it is actually bad news.” What is the point of being taught our whole childhoods that we can make a difference in this world, if the only difference we wish to provide is the one where we dare not doubt ourselves in the pursuit of personal growth? Why is it that attacking people who think different from us has become society’s favourite weapon and mode of coping with opinions that are not compatible with its own?

These are not words of anger. Quite the opposite. They are words of pain. They are words urging to be shouted out and printed on billboards for the world to see. They are the words of a man’s need to feel alive again. A man who wishes to be filled with celebrations and life again. Someone who wishes to celebrate diversity in culture, diversity in opinion, diversity in value, diversity in love, diversity in what is done to show that this world is beautiful and that it is worth fighting for.

I wish for these walls that I have built around my roots to shelter me from the toxicity that media and liars bring to my everyday life. However, I will keep a door open for you to enter if you wish to celebrate life with me around a football game or a guitar jam. I do not care for your gender, your religion, your race, your political affiliation, your sexual orientation, your history, your hate. You can leave them all outside. Just bring your culture with you and help me discover it through your beautiful eyes. We can celebrate our differences and honour our traditions together. Cultures were always meant to be shared with others. After all, this is how we end up learning to speak different languages. You can prepare me a bowl of “tabbouleh” salad and I will prepare some pasta, sushi, hamburger, rice curry or whatever typical dish linked to where you come from.

“The love we share will build a fortress around you”
- Walls by Walking On Cars

If you find the need to just lean on my shoulder and break down in tears because the world is being too cruel to you, remember that I will use my bones to build a shelter for you. I will be your cornerstone regardless of where you are. Whether you are a man or a woman, my walls will remain strong enough to protect you and help you recover for as long as you may request it. I cannot carry your pain for you, but I can carry you.

I hope this message reaches you in time, wherever you are. Do not lash your pain and insecurity out on the world, for it might never understand where they stem from. Being single does not have to be the beginning of hate towards women or men. Do not let your heart go to sleep with anger and a desire for vengeance in it. I am not perfect and have my own struggles to deal with, yet if there is one thing my hardships have taught me, it is the following: “Make sure that no one has to go through the same struggles that you have experienced on their own”.

There is always an answer for everything. Be who you needed when you wereI younger.
I will defend you with my life. My walls will protect your sanctuary.
So let these walls rise up.

“This is our sanctuary, where we can find shelter and peace
This is our sanctuary, you are safe with me”
- Sanctuary by Welshly Arms