I've been struggling with something for a while.
People.
People are really hard. We are all a complex set of thoughts, feelings, and experiences all wrapped up in a watery goo. (Taken from my human anatomy notes that I just made up) The crazy part is generally speaking, we understand the gooey parts. Legs go here. Eyes go here. Kidneys go there. Physically there is a form and function to everything. It's the rest of that feely-thinky stuff that really gets gooey.
Now I am about as much a social psychologist as I am a writer. (maybe you've seen my blog?) but in my 25 years on this earth I feel like I am no closer to understanding people than I was they day I came into it. And I'm not even talking about the real crazies. I'm talking about the people you see every day. That cute girl that works at Bed, Bath and Beyond who helped you decorate your apartment, the homely bartender at your local dive, the hoards of 20-somethings with their noses glued to their cell phones and crying out for a deeper connection.
And this is where I am currently struggling.
My generation is lost. Not in the, "You'll never amount to anything and you've failed me as a son" (MOM!) sense, but in the "We are all wanting to be connected to something bigger and do something bigger but we are all too 'plugged in' to see the world around us" kind of lost.
We share pictures of pop-tarts and airplane wings in fancy filters to get an electronic thumbs up. We share our 140 character thoughts to show how clever we are and how much fun we are having without our ex. We put our headphones in, sunglasses on, and pretend we didn't just make eye contact across the room.
Our interactions are hollow. We talk about sports statistics and Miley Cyrus. (She is still relevant right?) We regale stories of blacked-out nights and hungover mornings. We brag about all the "fucks we don't give." Our conversations are as meaningful as your high school GPA in a job interview.
It is so exhausting!
Living in a new city has been a challenge for me. Branching out and meeting new like minded people has been more difficult than I had expected it to be. I have waded through so many "So where are you from? What's your major?" chats that if I have one more I may vomit.
Our communications lack content and connection.
So ask yourself, when was the last time you had a REAL conversation? Have you been emotionally or intellectually challenged by a conversation recently? When was the last time you talked to someone about what you or they love? Whether they love music, fitness, cooking, muscle cars, nature, who cares what it is! When was the last time you told someone how you truly felt?
There is such a deeper connetion we could all be having if we could just open up and talk. Share yourself with someone else. Ask them how they are doing, and REALLY care.
Maybe if we shared our hearts instead of our weekend plans we'd feel connected. Maybe if we opened ourselves up to those around us we'd feel like we belong. Show someone kindness and compassion instead of cute dog videos.
People are really hard. Our young generation is struggling to find its way. But I believe with a little kindness and good conversation we can start to feel like we at least belong here, together.
With good health and strong hamstrings,
Mike
