Life's Not All Doom, But Mostly – Lucifer's Guide to Giving Up

Alright, kids, gather around. It's story time with your not-so-humble narrator, your friendly neighborhood Lucifer. This is what I do, enjoying the pleasure of human interaction, effortlessly blending among the crowds, having a drunk/deep conversation, engaging in dialogue so great it would make even the ancient philosophers pause and reconsider their life choices. People spill their stories before me, I pick them up, and voilà – they become the catalyst for my next cynical argument. How delightful!

This time, let's talk about the so-called light at the end of the tunnel, shall we? Life in its own bizarre way is nothing but a cruel joke, a relentless game of highs and lows, where the rules seem made up and the points don't matter. It's a never-ending gladiator match where only the most apathetic, ignorant and mastered the art of not giving a single fuck, survive.

In this life, you think you've found your slice of happiness, your universal truth? Please, spare me. The moment you lower your guard, that's when the darkness creeps in. Those slices are always laced with darkness, intrusive thoughts, shattered hopes and lost dreams. You will end up disappointed 😥, depressed, out of will to live, eyes full of tears and heart full of pain.

So, what do you do when faced with all that pain? Some choose rebellion — against authority, society, or the grand unknown. To say NO in the faces of those who said yes?

But let's be real, is flipping the bird to the world genuinely liberating, or just another act in the grand play of life?

Sure, there are genuine rebels, champions of causes, but scratch the surface, and you'll find a parade of pretenders, adults parading around in their teenage angst like it's Halloween every day.

And there you are, drawn to these impostors, thinking you can 'save' them, forgetting that it was their allure, their brand of chaos, is what attracted and seduced you to them in the first place.

Am I getting under your skin yet? No? Craving more of my delightful bitterness? I can almost hear the agonizing screams of souls in the distance. Oki doki, now let us dive into the so-called solutions, the pursuit of some elusive truth or relief – or just having the delusion of finding it.

For your entertainment, my dear reader, and because I love nothing more than be mischievous (much to my own amusement), let’s pretend that I, your ever-so-charming narrator Lucifer, am struggling with Multiple Personality Disorder. Half of me is skipping through fields of optimism, while the other half is a cynical pessimistic wouldn’t know hope if it came gift-wrapped with a red bow on top.

Mr. Sunshine in me would squeal with joy and says,

"Ah, come on! Life's not all doom and gloom. There's light at the end of the tunnel, you know? You just have to keep moving, keep searching. Happiness isn't a myth; it's out there, waiting to be found by those who dare to dream. Don't let a few bad experiences take away your sparkle. You are stardust, embrace the journey, the ups and downs. It’s all part of the grand adventure which is life."

And then, like a switch flipped, the pessimistic side jumped in, snorting and laughing sarcastically.

"Light at the end of the tunnel? Please, spare me the clichés. The only thing waiting for us is more tunnel. Happiness? A short-lived illusion, a carrot dangled before the donkey to keep it limping along. Every dream is just a build-up to a nightmare, every hope a setup for disappointment. Why bother searching for meaning in a meaningless void? It's all a cosmic joke, and guess what, we're the punchline."

And so the debate rages within me. It's like there's a never-ending battle going on, with these two sides pulling me this way and that.

Every day, I'm stuck in the middle, wondering which one will win.

But the truth, my dearest reader, is that neither does.

They're both there, mixing together, making up the big, messy picture of who I am, with all its ups and downs.

I mean, trying to find a solution, or rather, the one and only truth is like chasing after a mirage in the desert, isn't it? You spot this glimmer, this oasis of truth and relief, but as you pull yourself closer, bam, it’s just a trick of the light, always out of reach. And let's face it, even if by some miracle you did stumble upon it, would you even recognize it, or would you walk right past, blinded by your own biases?

So, here I am, your Favorite Fallen Angel, bearing witness to the dazzling display of humanity. Am I offering a shoulder to cry on or a devilish smile to question everything you hold dear? Maybe, just maybe, the act of questioning, the rebellion against the accepted truths, is where we find our most profound connection to life. Not in the answers we pick up, but in the courage to ask, to challenge, to tear down the walls and see what lies beyond.

As I make my way through all the twists and turns of life, crossing paths with people who shine bright for a while before disappearing, I'm writing this down. Not because I've got all the answers or some secret key to figuring it all out. No, I'm just putting words to paper and asking questions as a way to show the rollercoaster of feelings we all go through, the hard parts and those sweet, short, shining moments when everything seems okay.

Maybe, when it comes down to it, the real reason I write, throwing everything I've got into these words, is my way of raising my middle finger to a world — that doesn't seem to care much one way or the other. It is my rebellion, my way of saying no to the universe's indifference, my mask to hide behind, my way of not letting it all get to me. And who knows? Maybe in these lines, you'll catch a glimpse of your own struggles, a reflection of your own battle, find a friend in the gloom, or spot a tiny spark in the endless night.

In the end, perhaps the true act of rebellion isn't against society, authority, or the unknown. Maybe it's the rebellion against oneself, against the parts that either blind you with too much light or drown you in too much darkness. Finding the middle ground? Now, that would be the ultimate act of defiance. But who am I kidding? Balance is just another myth in the great book of life, right alongside true love and calorie-free chocolate cake.

So, dear sweet reader, as your self-assigned guide through this existential mess, here’s my two cents: embrace the chaos, dive into it headfirst, for in chaos, is freedom. It is in that mess you get to pick your path, be whoever the heck you want, and make it work in this crazy, beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful mess we are all in. And if the world is trying to box you in, remember, staying true to your wonderfully messed-up self is the best kind of rebellion there is. and perhaps we'll find something that resembles truth, or at least a good story to tell.

Sega