Ugochi Guchy Kalu (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer
A group of friends once gathered to share experiences and catalog them into comedy and tragedy. There were very happy moments and extremely sad events that each of them had had to deal with, and the question of what real life was about came up. Are we in a comic movie or just living in tragedy while smiling through it all? From everyone’s standpoint, it was concluded that perspective plays a big role in what life throws our way.
Tragedy has been defined severally as an event causing great suffering, destruction and distress. These events could be accidents, natural disasters or crime, and of course literature and arts often present any event with an unhappy ending as a tragic event. Comedy, on the other hand, focuses on happy endings with the intent to entertain and create laughter for people. Wouldn’t it be a perfect world if all we did was laugh, feel entertained and cheerfully retire to bed when night fell. I have lived quite a few decades on Earth and I dare say, tragedy and comedy are essential constituent elements that create balance in life. Often, when I present my case on balance, I am misjudged as a masochist. But life is not a fantasy, nothing is perfect, there is chaos at every turn and the understanding that tragedy exists hand in hand with comedy is the balance I choose to believe in.
In April of 2010, we lost my grandmother. She was a pillar of joy and the cord that bounded the unity in our immediate and extended family. She was the definition of love and care, she was everyone’s confidant. We were devastated and thrown into endless mourning. Two days later, my cousin put to bed a very beautiful baby boy for the first time in 11 years of being childless. We all experienced two emotions at once. While I was extremely heartbroken about my grammy’s passing, I was truly overjoyed for my cousin’s newborn. I simply didn’t know how to react, I couldn’t laugh out loud and express my joy because the knots in my chest and stomach were so strong that joy was not allowed entry. Life, huh? Was this the balance I talked about or life running an experiment on my beliefs? How could I have been so sad, yet happy? How was losing a loved one meant to balance the birth of another loved one? I had questions without a single answer in sight.
People lose their jobs, sadly, and find a better one a few moments later. Trees are cut down to the dismay of environmentalists, however the timber provides shelter to others. Bridges collapse but inspire the building of stronger bridges, people happily get married but divorce in anger. Tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes and snowstorms are natural tragic disasters that have occured and keep occurring without any control. People have died from senseless gunshots, automobile accidents, plane crashes and many other tragic situations. These are all pains that life has inflicted on us. And the inevitable tragedy of death is one that no living person can escape from. Away from all misfortunes of life, however, consider the everyday occurrences that have brought us joy: the birth of a baby, a promotion at work, an award for outstanding contributions, graduating from college, winning the lottery, getting married, profit from investments, fulfilling personal dreams, good health, happy friendships and family, and much more.
There is no one person on Earth whose life has been filled with downs without a traceable record of ups. We have all had our happy and sad moments, and it’s a cycle that keeps rotating without concern for our approval. This is what I call the “balance.” Life is generally what we make of it, and while giving up in the face of tragedy is a choice, treating tragedy as an event and moving above the sadness to find joy is yet another choice.
The acceptance of this reality called life is one step forward in changing our views on life as tragedy and comedy. If you live in a bubble, you will be knocked down the most when tragedy hits. However, to those who are in touch with life’s balance, tragedy is nothing but a bad day that will disappear the next morning. I have come to the understanding that life is both tragic and comic, however our attitude toward each event is what really shapes our experiences and general life outlook. To recapitulate my personal view, this thought-provoking Horace Walpole quote captures it all: “The world is a comedy to those that think; a tragedy to those that feel.”
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My name is Ugochi Guchy Kalu, I have lived in a bubble and also experienced real life hurt. I pulled through the toughest times through acceptance and a positive outlook. Stay positive, pals!