Some nights I wish…

Yesterday, I got a notification from a channel I subscribed to on YouTube and after watching the video, a song played at the end which sounded all too familiar. I used Shazam to identify it and an equally familiar name popped up; a music band named Fun. I recognized the name because of their song with Janelle Monáe titled “We are young.” This song is part of their 2012 album titled “Some Nights” and is also the name of the song I heard on that YouTube video. It seems this band love the word “night” so much because it's also in the starting lines of the chorus for We Are Young; “tonight, we are young, so let's set the world on fire.”

Since I heard some nights last night, it has been on repeat since then and I know I will probably get tired of it within a week. The song gives this vibes of High School Musical mixed with The Greatest Showman and Victorious (the Nickelodeon series), in one word it's awesome! As I said earlier, it sounded familiar when I heard it at first but I don't know why that's so, maybe I have heard it somewhere before, and it's most likely in a movie. I have already saved the album on my Spotify and will go through the songs later to see if I might recognize some other songs (later probably means when I get bored of Some Nights).

Listening to Some Nights, I realize that the band (Fun.) isn't just talking about the literal hours of darkness we all experience at certain hours within 24 hours, the metaphor extends far beyond that to periods in life when we face hardships, uncertainties, and emotional turmoil which can be triggered by various challenges, such as heartbreak, loss, illness, career struggles, or simply the weight of everyday struggles. A part of the lyrics goes “Some nights I wish I'd never been born at all,” and some of us have been at this stage, mostly when life has dealt us a severe blow and it looks like there's no way forward.

But you know what? Your being alive right now is a testament that you have surpassed every problem that has come your way. Think about it, starting from your childhood, haven't some problems made you start doubting you would be able to find a solution? I have had several of those over the years but one way or the other, I always come out of those problems with a new lesson learned. It's during difficult times we start making wishes and imagining having a better life. I can't count the number of times I have been very broke and started wishing I had millions of dollars. I even go as far as making plans on how I would spend the money (yeah, the imaginary million dollars).

But the thing about wishes is that sometimes they can be dangerous. Wishing for a different life, a different self, can lead us down a path of comparison and dissatisfaction. It's easy to get lost in the fantasy, forgetting the beauty and potential that lies within our own reality. Instead of wishing for what we don't have, maybe we should focus on appreciating what we do. Maybe those late-night wishes should be about acknowledging the things that make us unique and special. Maybe it's about accepting our flaws and imperfections and recognizing them as stepping stones on the journey of self-discovery.

Thinking this way made all the difference to me. Whenever I'm faced with difficulties, I always remind myself that I have been in worse situations but still manage to come out of them. So, the best part to take is to keep calm and think of a solution, a way to solve the present problem. Worrying doesn't solve anything, you either do something about it or you don't, there's no middle ground. This also applies to wishing, no amount of it is going to change anything, the world just doesn't work that way. I get a higher sense of accomplishment and confidence when I look at the things I have rather than wishing for what I don't have. Only compare yourself with your past self, and you’ll appreciate how far you have come.

But even at that, some nights I still wish things were better, I guess it's a subconscious feeling and there's nothing wrong as long as I don't dwell on it. Remember that even the darkest nights eventually give way to dawn. These metaphorical "nights" may be tough, but they don't last forever. I see them as phases, not permanent states. The darkness might be vast, but within you lies the power to rise above it just as you always rise every morning, discover hidden strengths, and ultimately find meaning in the journey.

Thanks for reading

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