Harmony
by Camal Ali

In the absence of freedom one will know joy only well enough to call him a stranger. The fact that we can do as we damn well please (for the most part at least ) is what makes our lives enjoyable. But wait, what if you take a fraction of someone's freedom? Do you take a fraction of their joy as well? What if we told Johnny that he must practice social distancing, that he couldn't go to his favorite club or store, and let's not even talk about the 8 p.m curfew. What if we told Johnny that a widespread and highly infectious disease is stripping away his freedom? How would he react? You’d think he’d be pretty upset right? Boy I sure wish we could ask him so we could know for sure, but unfortunately Johnny isn’t real so we’ll have to ask Camal.

Mhmm, how should-- one react? Well to that I’d have to say it's all relative to the mindset of the individual experiencing their freedom being intermitted. I believe that our mindsets describe our perceptions to influence our reactions and once this happens we now know how we feel, so that we then can create an intention and that intention is carried out through our actions.

I carry a very optimistic yet apathetic mindset built upon core belief. Regardless of literally anything that happens I will still be Camal Ali, and I genuinely believe that this man is a great one. He will know what it truly means to be fulfilled in life and will know success to be like a brother to him. This means that I live almost exclusively in the present and bring an unparalleled level of nonchalance and awareness with me. This helps me reframe things and define the bigger picture. Small problems remain small and bigger ones deteriorate. I find my work around for anything that breeds negativity into my life. It’s my Camalism that seeks this balance. However, if you take a look into Jonnyism you’ll find that small things nearly double in size, everything seems to be happening to him, and you can’t count on him to recognize that he defines his problems. Seven seconds of his morning can ruin 24-hours of his day. He has no idea that his mind is his own worst enemy.

Well I can’t control the spread of a disease, can I? So if I have to self-quarantine so be it. You know, fuck it. Why would I ever let something that exists completely outside of me affect the way I encounter personal peace, joy, and happiness? If I allow this predicament to negatively affect me then I have enabled my external environment to force me to ask for its permission to simply enjoy my life. Johnny on the other hand, finds himself asking the questions that inevitably give rise to his problems. Why now? Stupid corona virus. Why couldn’t this stupid thing stay in China? Why must I quarantine? For what is there for me to do? Nothing.

I wasn't going to let thousands of deaths stop me from maintaining my mental equilibrium, so I intended to make the best of my situation. Ironically, solitude brings me much joy and we can’t get enough of it these days. I would like to point out that the littlest of things are of vital importance when it comes to a healthy mind, so I've been giving each day it’s own improvised schedule with a set of contingencies. I must fulfill a daily quota of non technological activity and I must spend thirty minutes outside at the very least. Whether it be basketball outside or meditation inside and then outside again to take a walk, the point is I’m always doing something. I maintain my joy by never allowing my being to feel a sense of repetition. This is what is helping me create an album out of these corona Sundays. Each note I play from the very beginning of my day to the end of my song come together coherently in perfect harmony to end my day in euphony, as I transition to my newest song. 

{sigh} You wouldn’t believe that darn Johnny. He believes that since there is nothing else to do, that he will seek euphoric aid and smoke his days away until the pandemic is over. {sigh} That darn Johnny.

So while Johnny's asking, “ what is there to do?” Camal’s asking, “what can I invent for myself to do?”