Born in wartime

I used to be glad I wasn’t born in wartime, when young men were forced to pick up arms. But lately I’ve realized I was, in fact, born in wartime, enlisted without my awareness to fight in wars of narratives.

In the past, kingdoms poured treasure into armies to capture land. Today, influential entities commit resources to influence minds and capture loyalty. Words are the new spears. Media, the new tanks.

There’s a bounty on my attention, a battle for my mind.

I still feel privileged to live in ‘peaceful’ times but with more awareness to train with the urgency of my forefathers who lived daily on the edge of ambushes unannounced. I must train like it’s a world war. Perhaps it is. I must build mental muscle, sharpen my armor, and guard my awareness.

Every day, I’m in the middle of a battle. But who says that’s a bad thing. Didn’t every generation fight its own?

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