And so it begins

After years of planning and deliberation, my life has been whittled down to one singular decision: I must leave now or forever be stuck in this rat race of money, 401k plans, 2.5 kids and a house. Its not easy leaving. Not in the least.

Its bittersweet, really. I leave behind my best friends, a dream job, money, comfort and whatever else you can think of for a life that is at best, unpredictable. Its not like I am returning either- I have never lived for an extended period in Pakistan to begin with. This is a question I have asked myself a LOT over the years- why fight? why go back? Will I ever even make a dent in a system that is unequivocally one of the most corrupt in the world?

The only answer that I have always seemed to find is so that I can feel truly alive again. We all know that feeling; the feeling where every inch of us pulsates with vibrant energy, the perpetual feeling of euphoria. Food tastes better. Life seems blissful. Nothing you do goes wrong- this is your domain and you are its Allmighty.

Its been a long time since I have felt truly alive. A long, long time.

My alive is education for all, a better quality of life, respect for women, treating the handicapped like human beings. My fight is for the basic human dignities that have been stolen from us. Above all, my fight is for my salvation- I REFUSE to die without knowing that while the world cried and burned, I worked 9-5 in some effing cubicle coming up with the next big thing to satiate and stimulate the "target audience". Eff that.

The last breath I take will be with the knowledge that I tried and did my part for humanity. Then, and then alone shall my life be complete. Anything short of this was a faste of freaking oxygen.