Connectivity

If there’s something that the ol’ covid pandy has taught me (note: there’s a myriad of things the pandemic has taught me and I could likely start every blog entry for the next several years with that opening line) it’s the glaring communication issues that befall us.

It’s not just the algorithm that has failed us (which is a whole other topic) nor is it the fact that every topic of discussion seems to have been politicized to the point that many people are afraid to share their opinions for fear of a flame-war in the comments section.

I hypothesize that the problem with surface level dialogue is the surface level, itself.

Citing myself as an example, there are a lot of things I can weigh in on at an almost-expert level. We’re all armchair professionals at in regards to our own interests, so I can talk about the health benefits of not eating animal flesh, guitar specs, 1960’s Fords, musical theory, triathlon, and a great number of other topics and really – nobody cares. I’m impassioned by these topics, and in most company – I’m alone. A former version of myself might come to that conclusion and be really sad about it, while another former version of myself might be in total denial about it, but the end result is the same – these things don’t matter to most people, thus most people aren’t going to connect with me at that level.

However, as I search hard & dig deep into myself and feel compelled to share (I mean really share, not just by hitting the ‘share’ button) my accomplishments with the triathlon training, or a song I’ve written, or a vulnerable story I’ve somehow cobbled together using the vast black hole that is the English language and something crazy happened: people started to connect. Not about triathlon – nobody cares about triathlon (as previously stated). Most people who are paying attention think that running a triathlon is a fool’s errand and they’re probably right. What they seem to be connecting with is the fact that I am accomplishing something hard. I’m doing a thing that I couldn’t have done 6 months ago.

I’m improving myself – and most people that are excited about that are probably excited about it because it needed to happen. OR – they’re excited because they are improving themselves and now we share that. They are probably trying something hard that they’re reluctant to post about on social media for the aforementioned reasons. Perhaps it’s vicarious – and they want to try something hard – maybe they will.

They don’t care about what I care about. They care about me.
I care about them.
I care about you. I want you to do well at everything you try – but I also want it to be hard, and for you to learn something about yourself.

The surface-level will always be there. It needs to be, really – but I am finding that as much as I need to get below the surface level, people seem to really need to connect with me below the surface level, too. In a world full of hashtag-best-life posts, and so many people only showing their most picturesque vacations and culinary delights filtered through the instagram lens – it’s important to find and connect with the doers and the creators. After last year, I think we’re all screaming for it.

Now for the part you don’t care about (HA!): triathlon training.

This week’s training program has been a bit of reprieve, and well-timed. The bike, Swim, and run workouts have been at about half-capacity from last week and with life moving at it’s current pace, I couldn’t be happier about it. it gives me time to try and figure out how I’m going to pencil in next week’s utter punishment. PUNISHMENT I say.

The week has been exhausting and Christmas is coming. My band, Confusionaires just made arrangements with a new manager, and I’ve got some guitar gigs with an Elvis Tribute act I play with booking in the new year – both are wonderful opportunities, but as Thomas Edison is credited with saying: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work” – but… Edison was no Tesla.