Soft is the first thing that may come to anyone’s mind when the word cotton is pronounced. Yet the process that cotton has been through in order to turn into a final competitive product that we can wear is not soft at all. If you think about it, each one of us is like cotton. We were all planted in a farm, and taken care of in huge masses. The farmers then collect the clean pieces of cotton and get rid of the rotten ones. That’s when we graduate from high schools and certain universities accept us due to our grades; the process of filtration. And so on.
The process is long, for both; us and the cotton pieces. But in the end, the ones who make it through all the tests are the ones who stand in a clean bright suit, expensive watch, important contacts on the phone, and a sexy tie. They are as soft as cotton from the outside, yet from the inside they are as consumed and tired as cotton. They deserve where they stand, but does it have to be this way?
Who puts these standards? And why do we allow others to price us according to their standards? Why do we want to be priceless in the eyes of those who do not appreciate our real capabilities? This is how I feel when I study what I actually do not like. This is how I feel when I am in an interview impressing the interviewer for a job I really do not find myself in. This is how I feel when my parents force me to meet a man and I agree just because I should have a husband at a specific age. This is how I feel when I buy sports shoes while I am actually too lazy to do any activities. This is how I feel when everyone is saying that cotton is softer on the skin, while I think wool is.
Success has several definitions and each has several doors. The traditional way of success is as challenging as the non-traditional one. Both are equally important to the bigger economic picture. It does not matter if you are wool or cotton, it doesn’t matter if you are from the chosen elite cotton or from the recycled one. What matters is your passion, effectiveness, and perfectionism in handling your work. Whether you are wearing a cotton or wool suit, you can always manage to be elegant, because all raw materials are important, priceless, and unique.
Mahmoud Mansi
Photography: Mahmoud Mansi
EDITORS: Mennat-Allah Yasser Zohny & Nada Adel Sobhi