Crowded and lonely superheroes

I think it's interesting how lonely it can be on Facebook at times. It's not just there. That feeling of loneliness in the midst of a crowed, even a large group of friends, can be particularly poignant. I think that feeling is universal, that we all feel it from time to time, and probably more so in America and western culture then elsewhere. I think that we learn not to share it because it frequently doesn’t help and tends to alienate us from others who might withdraw because of how uncomfortable it makes them feel.

In writing my first novel, I figured that in no point in life is that more particularly true than in high school. I write about a teen age girl that searches for answers surrounding her mother’s suspicious death. And as she feels the weight of high school life, I have one of her older brothers tell her that everyone is crushed by the system churning out people of equivalent abilities. That with so much focus on standardized testing individuality is frequently sacrificed.

I think that sometime the reason we feel so isolated from others is because each of us is so unique that sometimes it’s hard to feel understood. And thus we all suffer, and even in that suffering we are unique – we don’t suffer uniformly and equally, some suffer far more than others.

I find it fun to attribute that suffering to conspiracy. And I think it’s true that many companies advertise to enhance that suffering to sell you that one product that will change it all for you.  And when that product fails there are thousands of others yet to be tried. From diet plans and shampoo to alcohol (sex, drugs, and rock and roll), somehow it’s all advertised to make your life more happy and pleasant.

I think it’s also fun to attribute to that conspiracy the hidden truth that they’re all trying to keep from you – that you don’t need any of that, or even anyone else. You’re happiness is up to you. But in this I think that you do need others. Because I think the truest happiness comes from finding how to use your unique ability to help those around you. If it’s in music, art, poetry, or in making exercise actually fun – I just mention those because it seems like their more frequently lost from schools than math, science, and engineering (which can also be used creatively to limit human suffering, but is rarely taught with that in mind.)

I also think it’s fun to treat the idea that we each have supper human abilities as a secret. Unfortunately I think it’s far too true and we all have a hard time finding out how amazing we really are. I think that as we realize how we can lift and help those around us we unlock some of that supper human within us. There is so much that each of us are capable of, it’s a shame that so much of that remains hidden (a secret, yet to be found).