Life is like a story told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
I translate the following article from a magazine. These days, I feel extremely gloomy. I am fed up with the hectic life. Things are not going along well. Many vital things in my life remain unsettled. I am upset and like a lost child aimlessly wandering on the street. I could do nothing to change the present situation, but accept the reality as what it is. And I have no close friends to share my inner thoughts and feeling with. Even comforts and entertainment can’t cure my emptiness. To a degree, life is meaningless. To release my depression, I just bury myself in books and magazines to purify my soul and thus forget everything for a while. Even so, I don’t know what to expect in my life to come. I am not a pessimistic person by nature. It’s merely because I am waiting so long a time without any result.
“You can have a full view of the beautiful sky on the top of the mountain, but you can’t before you reach the top”.
Every time the sun was setting with the sky still blue and clear, my father and I would challenge the mountain near our house. In the process of climbing, we always had much to share. Through our conversation, I learned a lot from his experiences. He always instructed me “ you should have a broad mind like the mountain.”
All this greatly influenced my life. But for the common interest we shared, we couldn’t have enough time to spend together, for my father was very busy. I believe that mountain climbing is really beneficial. It allowed me to have a hearty conversation with my father, have a deep reflection on the things happening to me and develop my perseverance. I like mountain climbing. Rather than bothered by the noise and pollution, I can retreat myself to a quiet and picturesque place for a while, breathing the fresh air.
Once, we challenged ourselves to climb a very high mountain. I was only ten years old then. It’s a tough job for me. In the first few hours of climbing, I was obsessed with the fresh air, the singing of the birds and the beautiful dances of the butterflies. You know, small children are always curious about everything beautiful to do with nature, especially they are kept indoor for a long time. As time went on, I felt my leg heavy and didn’t feeling like moving forward. Actually, I had a grudge against my father inside for taking me here. I just wanted to give up. It seemed as if my father had read my mind. He explained in a deep voice, “ spring is a season when everything comes to life again. The mountain and fields under our feet are carpeted by flowers and trees. You can get a full view of the beautiful sky on the top of the mountain, but you can’t before you reach the top. There you can admire numerous waterfalls and countless peaks as well as the valleys, which you can’t see half way. Only on the mountain top can you embrace all of those beautiful things, just like life itself.
At that time, I was too young to understand my father’s words. But those words sank in and I regained hope and confidence, with which I reached the mountain top. Looking around, I could see the whole of the sky, as clear as crystal.
Maybe I am experiencing the period of darkness before the dawn. The bright future lies right before me. It’s not too far away within my reach. I do hope so.
