In a world defined by status, fire persists to envy water.
Many believe that fire is the superior element out of the common four usually grouped: fire, water, earth, and wind. They praise its ability to bring light, to stay alive, to burn.
The way it keeps its flame even after a storm, its perseverance to keep itself lit even when everything just wants to blow it away.
People believe that everything that shines gets the prize; everything that glitters is considered the winner.
Everybody competes to burn the brightest, casting everything aside to take their place at the brazier, to become the flame everybody sets their eyes on.
But many also ignore—neglect—what it takes to keep burning.
Not everyone knows the amount it costs to stay alive, to keep scavenging for resources to fuel the fire. How only those privileged enough get to keep themselves burning bright for everyone to keep praising.
This is why fire wishes to be water instead—to finally stop asking for more fuel just to be seen.
In today’s world, the fastest way to reach the top is with the ability to fit yourself through the cracks and crevices of this thing we call our society.
Fire isn’t capable of making its way through the gaping holes of the hierarchy; it’s too costly. For one to be able to light oneself a decent amount of light already costs a sack of fuel; what more if your audience is the world itself?
Just like those workers who burn their lives in order to provide food on their family’s tables, there are those public vehicle drivers who burn their wallets to pay for fuel just to keep their vehicles on the road.
Most importantly, just like those students who burn their dreams just to accept that they don’t have the resources to light those aspirations to life. Those who throw away their chances at making it big because they have already accepted that they were never born to burn, only born to cause sparks.
The reason they envy water is because it doesn’t even have to move to earn its place in society; it only needs a crafted container, and it automatically adapts to its surroundings. It doesn’t need to be bright; it only has to be gifted in the right place.
These are those born in prestige, those already secured for their entire life, the ones who don’t need to overthink about what resources to burn just to survive, and the ones who don’t worry that their tables are empty for dinner.
These are those who believe that dreams are free, that anything you wish to happen will happen once you persevere. They don’t have to worry about what it took to make those come to life; they just have to worry about the journey they’ll have to traverse to reach it.
People have been tricked into believing that fire is superior; they have never seen what it took to be seen as someone who needed to burn themselves for it.
Everybody should know that behind the ignited facade are people who long to have it easy like water.
