EDCU

I come across people who underestimate my field daily.

I don’t mind it really, but there was this one time when one of those ignorant people claimed that anyone can ace such a field. It truly made me angry. I wasn’t even trying to hide my anger. I made sure its visible actually because that person has no clue what he is talking about. Its practically impossible for everyone to ace in one thing so I’m not sure how he made that assumption. I’m not even sure how he concluded that he, himself, would be good while studying what we study at EDCU. Out of my experience, its impossible for such a character to “ace” at EDCU.

EDCU is the abbreviation for English Department at Cairo University. English major yes… many people think its worthless.

I don’t care what many people think, but for the few who care to explore other fields than those that provide practical life investments, then I want to elaborate a point.

First off everyone should watch Dead Poets Society because it shortens my lengthy argument of why art is radical to every life.

I tend to be extreme, but wanting to transcend beyond the basic needs in life isn’t too much to ask for. I eat, drink, sleep and that’s basic, and then I watch, admire, feel, and that’s not basic. Until it is embedded in my everyday life, that’s when it turns into life’s crux, therefore, I should start looking for new non-basics.

I succumb to art not because its breathtaking and mind-dazzling. I bow down to art because it overflows my senses with indulgent emotions. I surrender to art because it cultivates my every singular brain cell with a stimulating buzz that keeps on humming in my ear eternally. It is impossible to escape it once your eyes are opened to it. As cliché as it sounds, it is ground real.

I speak for myself and everyone else who suffer from being ostracized for studying literature and not medicine or engineering. I know the claim that has been made by me makes the issue more real, and that ignoring it is better, but I will only refer to how I feel, not as a comeback to those who offend us, but as a sort of elaboration of why it is important to have humanities in our lives.

Life is dull. That is a fact only when you look at life as a submarine that has to keep on working properly, or else everyone will drown. Well life is in fact a submarine, but as those who are working on fixing it get to do that- keeping in mind that their work is important and very much needed and gratitude is essential here- they tend to ignore the internal mechanics of the miraculous beings that live on the submarine. The submarine will not drown if one gives in to passion during his non-constructing-the-goddamn-submarine hours.

Passion, yes; the main theme. Poetry melts passion and practicality into one room. Paintings blend passion and originality into one bed. The sheets are stained with the intensity of what philosophy does to a human brain. The garments are torn after giving one look at psychology. Passion explodes, flows, overflows, erupts through art.

Targeting a double life, art clicks on the tongue of those who lead a practical life in the broad day light, yet seek to devour the passions of life at night.

A sane mind is not easily pursued while having art as a background of your life.

Sanity is overrated.

I pursue art, hence I elevate. I educate. I cultivate and I culminate.

I learn about life. I learn about humans. I learn about meanings. I learn about history. I learn about mistakes. I learn about connections. I learn about flaws. I learn about styles. I learn about acceptance. I learn about differences. I learn about religions. I learn about the world. And you tell me anyone can ace that? You tell me its worthless, even pointless? You tell me I cannot add to the world?

I tell you, read a book.

My climax is not through achieving material success. That’s just an incentive. My climax is achieving art through art. Your stimulus is money, mine is a good walk through a garden; a copy of the One. Yours is the competition, mine is the knowledge. Yours is the building, mine is the beauty.

I’m not saying money is not important because it is. But it cannot be my life.

Life’s intoxicating scent fills my nostrils and I shiver.  I hear her groan, then I ignite.

Tell me one more time that humanities and art are not useful and I will well acknowledge how ignorant you are.