It was a long break here in the UAE last week, in celebration of Eid Al Fitr (literally translating into "ending the fast" after the Holy Month of Ramadan). Naturally, everyone had made plans to take advantage of the week-long break.
Personally, I was team staycation this year. Maybe it's the post COVID effect and getting used to not traveling as much, or maybe the idea of packing and boarding a plan was too daunting for me this time around- I decided to book a stay at a resort here in Abu Dhabi for some much needed R&R.
During our time there, we attended a couple of music concerts and of course, I had a blast as they were two of my favorite singers of all time (no I'm not telling you who they are :D ). What struck me most though in the midst of the sounds, lights, and energy was the power music has on people. Here we were - people of different backgrounds, ages, walks of life, and yet we were all united, singing the same songs and enjoying the same music. It was such a beautiful human experience.
That got me remembering a time in university, during a film course I was taking in my second year. Our professor was explaining to us how to create a compelling plot, and he said that human emotions were universal. Everyone, no matter where they were from, or how old they were, could relate to a scene of a mother protecting her children, to the joy of parents who just had a newborn baby, to heartache, sorrow, and loss. That's what makes movies powerful, and relatable across nations and different cultures. The same concept applies to literature- the exact reason why so many books and poems become so popular and are translated into multiple languages and enjoyed across the world.
At a time when the world has become more divided than ever, where we are consumed with war, racism, and injustice- let us remember that deep down, we all share the same human values. Despite our differences, we all experience happiness, pain, and sadness the exact same way. While we celebrate our diversity, let us remember what unites us all as a human race.
To actively combat the negativity and evil that has become widespread in our world, we ought to remind ourselves of our shared values- through our universal languages- music, film, and literature.
Are there any other universal languages you can think of?
