Becoming No One

It has been almost a month since the Game of Thrones series ended. If you were a true fan, and did things the right way, you read the books as well. Failure to do so would be disrespectful to George R. R. Martin and his brilliance. Admittedly, it is no easy (or cheap) feat to plough through all the GOT books, but it is the only way to really make sense of the character developments and the plot loopholes that were not fully developed on television. Except of course, for the last season where there book has not been written yet, and I am confident that GRRM will not go down the same path the scriptwriter chose. 

Of all the GOT characters that I had the pleasure of encountering, Arya Stark is my favourite, simply because I identify with her life the most. Not only did she overcome the dramatic death of her parents, but she rose above her shortcomings to become a strong woman, followed her own spiritual path, and still managed not be the centre of attention. Her goal in life, after meeting Jaqen H’ghar, was to become no one and in a way that is something I strongly desire as well.

Arya did not stick to the religion of her ancestors. Instead, she became a disciple of the Many Faced God. In a similar manner, although I was raised Catholic, I find wisdom and comfort in inter-religious dialogue, leaning on Buddhism and Hinduism for wisdom when the Bible could not lead me down the path I sought. Prayer, after all, has no name, and the only recipient is the power or force you choose to offer them to.

She hid in the shadows, watching, learning, biding her time, while the rest of the world crumbled around her. Death of her loved ones did not prevent her from honing her craft and wielding them as powerful weapons of change, in addition to a sharp mind and a perchance for detail. This is precisely what I have undergone in the past five years. I hide in the shadows, never showing my face, hoping to become someone by remaining no one. I want the words and pages to become my weapons for the various crusades I pick up. I am not a soldier who will be out on the front, branded by loyalty to a flag, but I will fight the wars of injustice and inequality through my pages, and bringing the issues to light is the first step.