Even though we are more than a week into 2015 it's been very hard for me to grasp. It might be because in my head it is still the turn of the century. Or maybe it's just denial that my 20s are gone.
Either way, over this past week, as I've been struggling with the idea that it is really the year all the discounted new year's paraphernalia says it is, I've been thinking; what does a new year really mean anyway? Yes, it's widely viewed as a time to start anew; wipe the slate clean of all the things you screwed up on last year and return to a fresh beginning. But really, doesn't it all just boil down to numbers put in place that organize units of time to appease the demands and preoccupations of society?
Now, it's possible that this is just me grasping onto the "age is just a number" mentality as I come to terms with the fact that I have, indeed, entered my 30s, but too often I think people cling to numerical values in their lives that end up skewing what it is really all about. As a society, we get fixated on quantities and forget what a moment is really worth.
How much money should I be making? How many likes did I get? How much weight should I lose? How many drinks have I had...YES away with numbers!
My goal for 2015 is to shift away from quantifying things in my life and focus more on qualifying them. To realize the value in the time I am spending here on this earth not by minutes, or dollars, or days but by the quality of how it is spend. I am going to measure my time in smiles, laughs, hugs. I am going to give as much as I can. Not money, but appreciation. Gratitude. Company. A willing soul, attentive to the magnitude of a common shared experience. Whether it's a mind-expanding concert shared with tens of thousands of people, or that simple moment you lock eyes with a stranger whom you've just held the door for.
Presence.
This past fall, in a humorous, yet ardent delivery, I was reminded of a valuable face of life; our trip is short. It is so simple, but so significant. It is not worth wasting energy worrying about all the frivolous and inconsequential things that the media, or society, tells us "should be" important. Get real.
Honestly. Let's all get real.
Don't get me wrong technology is fantastic, and I appreciate the opportunity to remain connected with friends and family around the world. But I fear we are breaking the connections with the people sitting right next to us. When the only words exchanged between two strangers is one asking the other to move so you they can get a good Instagram shot, I think there is a problem. We need to make technology a privilege again. Bring it back to a secondary form of communication in which we control it, rather than it controlling us.
My mother has always had this innate ability to chat with anyone she comes in contact with. And when I say anyone, I mean anyone. The gas station attendant; her airplane row neighbors; telephone sales clerks. When I was making the move from Montana to Northern California she accompanied me on part of the road trip that took us through Reno. She mentioned she'd like to meet up with a friend. Of course, I thought, a great opportunity to catch up with and old friend. Unbeknownst to me, she had never actually MET this friend. This friend was a saleswoman from one of the medical supply companies in which mom had ordered from for years. They were on the phone frequently for business and actually took the time to ask about each others lives and develop an honest to goodness friendship. When we met up with her (remember prior to this they didn't even know what each other looked like) it was like watching old friends catch up, and it was beautiful.
I guess what I am getting at is, I challenge everyone to take a moment out of your week to set the phone/computer/tablet down. Even when you desperately want to know what is happening on your friends Facebook page. Put the phone down and just take in your surroundings. Just BE. Reflect. Take time to connect with yourself so that you will be able to ACTUALLY connect with others. Because I honestly believe that is what can make this world a better place.
So, I guess what I'm saying is take the steps to make it all worthwhile. It's true, our trip IS short. We are all swimming through this real thing we call life, and we DO have companions on this ride. Let's not take that for granted.
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