To be Unique
A dominant theme in today's society is to promote uniqueness and
individuality. Though it isn't enough to promote unique individuals who stand
out in a particular field of excellence anymore. Yes we worship athletes and
movie stars, but now the promotion has become a much more selfish task. I'm, of
course, speaking of... Self-promotion.
Social media enables people to shout their uniqueness to the world.
Justin Bieber became one of the most famous people on the planet by posting
YouTube clips of himself singing. This makes an interesting story. It also
makes for a lot of copycats.
So many people promote themselves via Facebook or Twitter now. They
come up with every hashtag imaginable to put on a photo they took... Fishing
for the chance to be responsible for the next viral... Well... Anything.
So many aren't looking to be known as a great writer... A great
photographer... Or something as simple as a great listener, advisor, or even
just a great friend. These are things that all come without recognition. You
aren't a great friend because twenty people comment about you on Facebook.
No, many people haven't even thought through the recognition they
seek. They just seek recognition for recognitions sake. People want to be
recognized as unique. And they'll latch on to anything to get that. The fact
that every second person has tattoos in today's world is a sign of this.
Now I kind of like tattoos. There are lots of good ones out there
and I know several people with tattoos that most certainly contain meaning for
them personally. That said, there's a lot of garbage out there.
Chinese symbols tattooed onto someone with absolutely no knowledge
of Chinese culture... That's not a sign of uniqueness... It's a sign of
following.
Written grand statements? I don't know how many criminal profiles I've
seen with tattoos stating "only God can judge me" or "Death
before dishonour". It's silliness. Truth is anybody can judge anybody
else. Everybody does judge on some level. But that's just a statement that
sounds cool and deep. It's fake deep plastered upon skin to show the world that
you really wish you could be seen as complicated. And no thief or cheat knows
what honour is. No matter how much ink you drive into your skin.
Commercial uniqueness has been thrust upon us. That is to say,
companies know we want to be seen as unique and they're selling it to us.
Dr. Pepper bombards us with ads proclaiming how, if you drink their
soft drink, you will stand out from the common crowd. Dozens of people in the
commercials parade around, repeating after each other how they're unique. Each
sounding much as the one before.
This all said, I'm always somewhat torn about the subject of popular
uniqueness. I'm sure everyone thinks they're unique. We are all individuals.
And it is true, no two people are exactly the same. But for many, the qualities
that make them unique are too subtle to be worth the self-promotion.
After all, why should anyone care if you can roll your tongue? Nobody
should broadcast that they are able to dunk a basketball. And the fact that you
can grow a big, shaggy beard does not mean that you should gain an increase in
status among your peers.
So what I'm always torn about is the fact that I'm a private person.
Yet I share photographs and have constantly posted a blog for years now. I'm
always considering the notion that maybe I shouldn't share. I don't want to
cheapen the things I enjoy by trying to sell them for popularity.
But I continue to post to the blog. And I continue to link to the
blog via Facebook. I'm just not sure why I do it. And I do post pictures that
interest me. And will even put a hashtag or two on ones that I think are
particularly good or interesting.
I guess the truth is we all want some form of recognition. Some of
us crave it on levels far greater than others. And some of us are far more
willing to share virtually anything about themselves. I know I'm far more
glad that my mother didn't have access to media sharing when I was a child than
I am glad to have such access now for myself to share with. Knowing the kind of
child I was, I'd be horrified to have the adults in my life constantly showing
their group of friends moments from my childhood via a technology as universal
as the internet.
And I've seen other people who write. And many with blogs or
personal websites do their writing for the wrong reasons. Or at least wrong in
the sense of how I see it. I've seen too many who write with clichéd phrases.
Who simply restate the same thoughts and ideas that are now so common you wish
they never came up again. And I've seen people who pepper their websites or
blogs with advertising. Who go after company freebies with a promise to review
that company’s product. And I can't help but think, when I read these people,
that they aren't being honest in their writing. They're saying what they think
they should be saying. Or what will gain them more followers... Subscribers...
Or advertisers.
I can't say I write about all of my life. There are plenty of things
I keep as private. But I can say I've never written anything with the hopes for
fame or profit. And I can honestly say that everything I have written has come
from an honest place.
So in the end I continue to write and post pictures. And I shake my
head at the silliness shared in this world as well as the levels of popularity
such silliness seems to gain. I mean if I showed two pictures... One being
concrete proof of the existence of Bigfoot while the other is of my neighbours
child waving a stick in the air... I'm sure the stick-swinging child would
garner twice the number of "likes".
And I guess I can take solace in the fact that my just thinking
about stuff like this does indeed make me unique. Although sometimes uniqueness
can be a lonely thing. It makes you wonder why we all seem to crave it so much.
WEDNESDAY...
--- Busy day shift. Always seems like our first day is busy, no
matter which day it falls on.
THURSDAY...
--- Not as busy as yesterday. Not much out of the ordinary though.
FRIDAY...
--- Alone on nights. Quite busy getting stuff done until around 1:00
am. After that things slow some... Though never really stop.
SATURDAY...
--- Second night also alone. Less busy than last night but not by
much. Steady go until midnight. And again, things slow after but don't really
stop until about 5:00 am.
SUNDAY...
--- Sleep about 3.5 hours before the eyes pop open. First indoor
softball game of the fall. On a new team too. Get injured in the first inning.
Pull a calf muscle ranging to my right at third base. I finish the game but as
catcher. And with a runner to go for me from the plate. Feeling like old Babe
Ruth... A shell hanging on.
--- Leg tightens some in the evening but I don't think it's real
serious. Reading on the net I'm guessing a grade 1... Maybe grade 2 calf
strain. Ice, compression, elevation are suggested and it helps. And, unlike
when I injured my shoulder, knee and thumb... Sleeping isn't interrupted with
my calf at all.
MONDAY...
--- Calf is still tight when I wake and if I extend my stride too
far, it shoots pain. Still, it is better than last night... And by the end of
the night, it's not feeling too bad. I wouldn't be able to run or even walk too
fast, but if it was at 30% this morning! it's likely jumped to 50% by tonight.
--- In the afternoon I hobble over to the dentist. I had all
four wisdom teeth pulled out of my gum almost twenty years ago... Today's visit
seemed more torturous. Two cavities and some work to try to add some space between
my back molars was set to take an hour. In the end, I'm there with mouth agape
for almost two hours. And it felt like the drilling wasn't going to stop. He
ended up giving me three fillings and needed to shoot me with the numbing agent
a record three times per side. Six shots all total. My teeth are quite
sensitive and it seemed like a shot wouldn't deaden things much more than for a
half hour. Still, I make it through. And despite the extra torture of
this trip... The wisdom teeth trip was a much longer pain to deal with.
TUESDAY...
--- Bit of a slow walk today. Leg still tight. Get the place ready
for mom and dad.
WEDNESDAY...
--- Mom and dad get in this evening. Go to Boston Pizza for a meal
and chat the evening away.
THURSDAY- SUNDAY...
--- Groceries. Go to Bearbrook Farm for some organic meats. They've
for their own elk and bison and geese in pens with peacocks and other birds as
well. A trip to Wakefield for the autumn leaves and a nice lunch. The calf
improved. Not back to normal but walking limp free is ok now. Back tightens up
by the end of the weekend though and Harley and family join us for thanksgiving
supper on Sunday.
MONDAY...
--- Go to Captain Phillips with mom and dad. Really good movie.
TUESDAY...
--- Bring mom and dad to the airport and pick up Dave at the same
time. We go to Captain Phillips for my second time in two days. Same
time...cinema... Ticket seller... And seat.
--- Get Del in the evening. Hang around the house with some Louis'
Pizza.
WEDNESDAY...
--- Movie afternoon again. Gravity is quite good too. Not at Captain
Phillips level but real good.
THURSDAY...
--- Four movies in four days. This afternoon it's Prisoners. Another
good one but likely the third best of the three movies.
--- Drop the boys to the airport tonight. Some quiet times to
follow. Catch up on the PVR.
FRIDAY...
--- Dayshift. But I don't go in. Decompression time is needed after
a very busy week of visitors. Good times with people around... But it's tiring
non-the-less. And 4:30 wake up was not a goal of mine today.
SATURDAY...
--- Another day off to basically do nothing. It rains much of today
and I'm cozy inside. Hockey and baseball on tv all goes against me. But the PVR
catch up is now under control and I've got much more free space to work with
again.
