People are selfish - the “ana Kuwaiti” boast that I heard halfway across the globe in Malaysia is a trend that still goes on (I heard the same exact phrase in Egypt too). I know that not every Kuwaiti is like this - however, this struck me enough to dedicate an entire article on the incident. The immense self-aggrandizement is what I’d like to question here.

The everlasting feud between expats and Kuwaitis as well as xenophobia across the globe has made me realize that we are all practically the same - then why do we act like it isn’t? This is an open statement to those who believe that they are the center of everything, especially to that ‘ana Kuwaiti’ girl.

You are the protagonist; the star at the center of your own unfolding story. You are surrounded by your own cast - friends and family, orbiting you as planets. A little further out are the others - the background characters, the random passersby, acquaintances - they are the ghostly apparitions having an impact on you. Every person lives a life as vivid and complex as your own.

Every person carries the accumulated weight of their own ambitions, friends, emotions, mistakes, worries, craziness, etc. When your life moves on to the next scene, there are nudges from people - wrapped up in their own backstory, side-jokes, and characters that are strung together with countless other stories - whom you will never see. You’ll never know they exist, who might appear only once as you scroll through your phone at a coffee shop. Like a blur of traffic; a lighted window.

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is a bit egocentric. Sure, you are the Main Character - you matter. However, people hurl insults and are ruthless towards each other - as if other people don’t matter. These insults are centered on if they are ‘from this country’ or are of ‘that color’.

Recently, I talked to an elderly woman discussing this very issue, and her viewpoint is something I would like to share with you. A time will come, or perhaps already has, when you will remember your life. You will ask yourself, why were you put here?

Looking through your entire life, you will see the muted tones - blues morphing to teals and reds degrading to maroons. Memory is a harsh dictator - only the most important moments and feelings power through. A trusted smile between someone you love; a struggle you have helped out on. The fear of an ordinary life wrecks your mind. You continue scanning your life, looking for something beautiful.

Then you might remember all the times in your life where you were clearly negative - you hurt someone for your own pleasure. Perhaps it was to feel better about yourself in that split second gratification of being better than them. But now, years later, you will regret it, and this regret will hurt and haunt you. So just be nice to one another. We all came in this world, not knowing the difference between expats and Kuwaitis - or black and white. We came on a confusing lifelong mission to figure out why we are here, with no choice but to trust each other.

By Sana Kalim