Bitter's In Fashion

Lately I have been adopting a new trend in my daily life: meditation.

I do not prefer the Indian-styled sitting position with comfy pillows, ambient music, and pungent herbs wafting through the air kind of meditation - I like for it to be in the middle of an uncomfortable environment. Most of the time this means just before class starts, especially the ones accompanied by a test or quiz.

"What goes on during these 'meditations'?"

I'm glad you asked! Most notably: prayer. Peace of mind is not something easily obtained by oneself in stressful times, but I believe it can be acquired through prayer. I pray for guidance, mental strength/fortitude, and for wisdom. I never say "Jesus, get me an A on this test!" - because that's my job. I pray for a clear head and the ability to recall information from my mind.

"So you just pray for yourself?"

Absolutely not! The things I mentioned beforehand are just the small tidbits I throw in for myself towards the end of my prayer. I spend a vast majority of the time on other people when I pray. I'd much rather everyone else be content than myself, because it's easier for me to fix myself and to ask for help than it is to pry into other peoples' lives asking if they need help. I mostly pray for others' health, safety, and happiness. I figured that if someone has those three things, then there's not much else for me to wish them.

"If all you do is pray, why call it meditating?"

I mentioned that a large portion of the time is spent in prayer, but I did not say all. The remaining time is spent inside my own head. Sometimes I tell myself things in order to reach the maximum amount of personal relaxation. Sometimes I discuss an idea in my head, trying to rationalize it or make sense out of it. Sometimes I am coming up with a plan of what to say/do next. It's highly variable, but it's all very important.

"Okay, I get it - prayer and peace of mind - but what's with the title 'Bitter's In Fashion'?"

You ask very good questions. The point is this: I've noticed a steady increase in the amount of unhappy people in the world around me. It's becoming somewhat popular to have a negative opinion on almost everything, and the percent of the population that would be classified as judgmental has grown exponentially alongside this trend. It concerns me as a member of society that so many people leave logic and reason at the door when they leave for work and school in the mornings, when it's those two things that separate us from beasts. I believe it is a sensible request that these people (as well as everyone) devote a small amount of time each day to do some self-reflecting within their own mind, focusing on the things they say and do, and comparing them to reason. I pray that everyone could lead a life where logic and reason take priority over feelings and emotions.