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No The Show Must Not Go On!

Date : 27/01/2017

Author Information

Tehreem

Uploaded by : Tehreem
Uploaded on : 27/01/2017
Subject : Life Coaching

Watching a documentary about the British Royal Family - Inside Buckingham Palace. It has a bit of history as you would expect but also sufficient drama and gossip about arguably the most celebrated royal family in the world.

And, amongst the scandals that rocked the Royal Family in the last 200 years, Lady Diana Spencer`s marriage to the Crown Prince and the subsequent divorce, is the one our generation is most familiar with.

I was too young to fully appreciate the extent of her philanthropic efforts at the time but I still remember that even back in Pakistan her divorce and her death a year later were topics of dinner table conversations.

It was only after her death that I really got to know the Princess who ruled people`s hearts. Ironically her humanitarian work, her innate glamour and most of all her struggles came alive for me in the special magazine editions dedicated to her post the accident in Paris that claimed her life.

She had everything in a material sense that a young girl may seek. The jewels, the designer clothes and a fancy house. What she didn`t have was peace of mind.

Diana, Her Story. Written by Andrew Morton, this book was apparently Diana`s personal account of what went on behind closed doors in her marriage. A marriage that was a sham for years before it ended. She denied any involvement in its writing and it was only acknowledged by the author himself after she was gone.

I have never read the book but I find it sad that a woman who gave the world so much of herself was not allowed to be honest about her private life.

Her struggles are no secret today so I won`t list them here. But I find it heartbreaking that a woman who shook hands with AIDS victims when people were wary of being in the same room as them, was forced to resort to suicidal attempts rather than being able to talk about what was troubling her. She wanted to raise compassion for those who needed it but was denied any herself by virtue of the culture that required her to preserve an image.

Her story struck a chord with me today. I think of all the people I know who suffer in silence because speaking up is frowned upon specially for women.

Perhaps in the West, where women are far more independent, Diana`s inability to be open about her failing marriage is the exception rather than the norm. But certainly, in my Pakistani culture it does not matter how educated or self-sufficient you are, you must maintain a "dignified" silence.

You cannot mention in-laws being too distressing or your cheating husband. The honour of the family must prevail. There may be a sense to that. I don`t see the point in washing your dirty linen in public and becoming the object of idle gossip. But I also don`t believe in suffering in silence. Sometimes getting the load off your chest helps you sleep better at night. It is needed to maintain your sanity and carry on. It is a safer path to tread on than taking all the blows silently until eventually you break.

Suicide is real. And it happens when the victim can no longer handle the depression. The risk is far greater when the one suffering is not allowed to reach out because of the rules inflicted by society.

Today I write for all those who suffer in silence. I feel that pain needs a shoulder to cry on. Unjust behaviour needs to be voiced for a better, more wholesome society.

No, the show must not go on!

This resource was uploaded by: Tehreem