In order to reawaken your passionate, sensitive core self, you have to surrender to the friction, awkwardness, and vulnerability of navigating the real world in real time among real people.
LW, I just want to say that it’s okay to not want kids, a romantic partner, or a career, and stating these things doesn’t make you empty or not knowing your true desires. It’s actually incredibly brave to know and embrace not wanting those things in a world that tells you that’s the only way to have a valid life. What it does mean is you unfortunately have to work extra hard and be extra resilient to carve out a life that provides its own unique meaning, because you’re not going to trod the beaten path with built-in meaning markers, and the world will actually work to punish you for that. Best of luck. ❤️❤️
That was an amazing response and just what I needed to read this morning. Dear LW, if you want a concrete action you can take while you are getting to know your desires, do something for something else, specifically bring a dog(s) into your life, not as a pet that will keep your world small, volunteer to walk dogs at the local shelter or raise puppy to become a service dog. These acts have meaning and that is important, because it forces you to work with all sorts of people towards a common goal (friction), but you have an animal in-between you as buffer and place to turn your attention to if it all gets to much.
“You probably already have three nice notebooks that you haven’t written a word in yet (or you scribbled a grocery list in the front of one and then considered it ruined).”
This whole piece made me feel seen, but this comment in particular is like: please stop spying on me.
LW, I just want to say that it’s okay to not want kids, a romantic partner, or a career, and stating these things doesn’t make you empty or not knowing your true desires. It’s actually incredibly brave to know and embrace not wanting those things in a world that tells you that’s the only way to have a valid life. What it does mean is you unfortunately have to work extra hard and be extra resilient to carve out a life that provides its own unique meaning, because you’re not going to trod the beaten path with built-in meaning markers, and the world will actually work to punish you for that. Best of luck. ❤️❤️
That was an amazing response and just what I needed to read this morning. Dear LW, if you want a concrete action you can take while you are getting to know your desires, do something for something else, specifically bring a dog(s) into your life, not as a pet that will keep your world small, volunteer to walk dogs at the local shelter or raise puppy to become a service dog. These acts have meaning and that is important, because it forces you to work with all sorts of people towards a common goal (friction), but you have an animal in-between you as buffer and place to turn your attention to if it all gets to much.
“You probably already have three nice notebooks that you haven’t written a word in yet (or you scribbled a grocery list in the front of one and then considered it ruined).”
This whole piece made me feel seen, but this comment in particular is like: please stop spying on me.
Beautiful. Profound. Needed. As always.