“MYSTERIOUS NIGHT” by Nishagandhi

Neil Gaimon might be right. In his book Neverwhere, a phrase strikes acord within me by saying “You’ve a good heart. Sometimes that’s enoughto see you safe wherever you go. But mostly, it’s not.” Truly, a good heartmay open doors to everywhere. In a world that’s not ideal, not alwayskind, and often cruel—a world like yours and mine, you see—these doorsmay lead to neverwhere, a place neither here nor there, not anywhere.

When acknowledged, goodness is appreciated. It is admired, respected, cherished; it inspires, consoles, thrives. Like breeds like, and love breeds love; kindred spirits recognize each other, and find within themselves a spark that when united and ignited becomes a flame that blazes through every other obstacle. Legacies of independence, love, and peace have been founded upon flames such as these. Existent legends like Mohatma
Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Confucious, Nelson Mandela… and countless more we may or may not agree on… prove to us daily that there are kindred spirits.

When not acknowledged, it is viewed in a skewed light. It is a thing to be trampled, a characteristic of weaklings and idiots, a cumbersome or leer-worthy obstacle to a self-driven, self-oriented, self-serving mind. In a world or society or family run by greed, selfish power, or ill will, the good are the minority, the misunderstood, and thus automatically the enemy. Timelessly, evil has sought to crush good, and might revolts against right.

The best of all? Authors, philosophers, and leaders who have learned to speak out with and about goodness know this already: goodness does not mean weakness. Goodness does not mean stupidity. It can, just as evil can, but it shouldn’t, and it doesn’t have to. God gave man a mind along with a heart, and a pair of hands that can become the most powerful of tools.

“A good head and a good heart,” said Nelson Mandela, “are always a formidable combination. But when you add a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”

-Angreek87