*The last time I did something for myself?"
I had to think back... so far backward, before I could remember something tangible that I selfishly did and not the mere act of buying food and drinks.
About two years ago, I found out that the cost of shoes, I mean good shoes, had skyrocketed so badly, unlike how it used to be when I could buy shoes with ease. A friend and I moved from one boutique to another, trying to find more considerate prices, but all of them appeared the same, within the same high price range.
You know, for someone who is always looking out for family and putting very necessary needs first, it was so hard for me to opt into buying a new pair of shoes, even though it was obvious that I needed one. The ones I was using were rapidly wearing out, and I needed to stop looking like a “church guy” from the 90s. It was difficult for me to pull out that amount of money, but in the end, I turned a blind eye (a deaf ear and a blocked mind to the unending selfish priorities that always step in whenever I want to make a selfish move) and bought the pair of shoes.
This may appear to be a very common and necessary thing for a human being, but the truth is that whenever someone has very pressing needs or piled-up responsibilities that are unavoidable, it becomes extremely hard for that person to be selfish.
When I bought the pair of shoes, I did not feel guilty. My mind was already made up to get them, regardless of the major necessities that were piled up and waiting for any amount of money to swallow. One thing I have come to understand in life is that needs, especially necessary ones, are endless. They do not stop showing up. Because of this, it is good that once in a while, a person neglects those necessities and gives themselves a good treat.
The worst part of the situation is this: if one dies while trying to carry everyone along or bear the burden of everyone else without remembering the treatments and care one owes oneself, the people the person was trying so hard to please would mourn for a while and then move on, finding their own means to live. When we look closely at it, selfishness should have its place sometimes, but it often does not because our minds are filled with emotions, and it is almost impossible to live for just yourself alone.
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to Week 206, Edition 03 of the Weekly Featured contest in Hive Learners Community
The Image used is mine