Claiming to be humble is a declaration of hypocrisy. Everyone desperately needs to be recognized as talented or hard-working or devout or funny or smart or whatever. We are all anxiously waiting for evidence confirming the identity we've been carving over years of learning or practicing or speaking or praying or joking or flaunting modesty or whatever. But it seems to me, more often than not, we invest much more energy into learning how we're viewed by our friends and peers than we actually invest in the pursuits and ambitions our friends and peers are witness to. And now, more than ever, I'm not sure it even matters. Here it is folks...no longer should you feel compelled to find your passion or "gift". In today's virtual world of tweeting presidents and sponsored content, it's about telling people what your "gift" is with a big # in front of it. Passion is, evidently, a matter of advertisement. It's not actually about how funny you are, it's about how many people watch your YouTube stand-up routine. It's not about how smart you are, it's about how many Jeopardy questions you get right during a social gathering. It's not about how devout you are, it's about how many people saw you at church last week. Some may argue otherwise while in good company, but I'm afraid the news is in and it reads like this kids: YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE...BUT IT'LL COST YOU LESS TO JUST LEARN THE PART.
It's funny if you let it be...laugh out loud if you'd like. We're a bunch of selfish, egocentric, how-many-likes-can-I-get, public image enthusiasts. If only we could suck it up, admit we're self-obsessed, and hang up our cell phones for a minute, maybe we could start trying to have a few real experiences like real human beings and less like the decorated protective cases of App-Store-bought identities. I'm as guilty as the next narcissist, and maybe I have a skewed idea of what "real experiences" are, but I'm trying to be a better egomaniac. Let me tell you, it's humiliating...thank God. Par for the course, I suppose, when searching for compassion and understanding in something other than our own reflection.
So this is what I say...
Go sit in the grass, tell a stranger a story, eat something weird, paint a picture, and then...keep it to yourself. Don't tell a soul. Don't Tweet about it. Don't blog about it. Leave the GoPro at home. Just do something for yourself and the hell with the rest of us. YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE...as soon as you stop being anything you think the rest of us expect.
I'm just thinking out loud...forget I said anything. Don't you dare trust a word I say! It's Saturday evening, the second day of autumn. It still feels like summer, the stars are shining brightly, and I hope you're happy.
So this is what I say...
Go sit in the grass, tell a stranger a story, eat something weird, paint a picture, and then...keep it to yourself. Don't tell a soul. Don't Tweet about it. Don't blog about it. Leave the GoPro at home. Just do something for yourself and the hell with the rest of us. YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE...as soon as you stop being anything you think the rest of us expect.
I'm just thinking out loud...forget I said anything. Don't you dare trust a word I say! It's Saturday evening, the second day of autumn. It still feels like summer, the stars are shining brightly, and I hope you're happy.
