The Game

Just last night, I had the absolute pleasure of going stargazing with a dear friend, and if you've ever been on a stargazing excursion, you've most likely come to the realization that stargazing has the potential to be very conducive to good conversation. It was; it really was. And I'm not entirely sure how we landed on the topic of communication, but we did. And we got to talking and I got to thinking, as well as practicing my all-too-common habit of spewing my thoughts. We were left with a common thread, a thread which left us perpetually asking the question: Why on earth has this generation made communicating with other people, specifically those they're interested in, some sort of crazy little game?

Here's what I'm saying. Let's take texting for example, though it is most assuredly not the only culprit. Why has it become such a huge struggle? We worry about if and/or when we should text the person first. We freak out if the person doesn't respond within a certain period of time. We actually devise plans to lay back on the texting in an effort to play hard to get or something. It is literally a game. And a game that no one can ever truly win. Moreover, it has become yet another unnecessary life controller. Our day is one grand old affair when that "special someone" sends a text our way. But God forbid we don't hear from them for a few days. Then we cry and think we've lost all hope and will be forever miserable. What is this? What the heck are we doing? Seriously.

Maybe it's the weird part of me that will never be able to deal with the mind games that many people find strangely enthralling, but eww. It honestly doesn't have to be that way. Call me crazy, but I would just adore if communicating could merely be a normal & helpful & enjoyable gift. Our generation simply has a way of complicating things that were originally intended to simplify and enhance. And if that is fun to you, then have at it. Really, that's totally cool. But if you find yourself a bit dissatisfied with such things and notice that your moods have become far too dependent on whose name does or doesn't appear on your phone from day to day, then maybe it's time to reevaluate.

Try this. Text people first when you feel so inclined. Don't when you don't feel so inclined. And if you're freaking out about not receiving an oh so "vital" call or text, maybe take a step back for a second or an hour or a day. There's this beautiful place called outside. Go there. Ride a bike, run, swim, dance. Because sometimes, we must let a phone be just a phone. And we must learn to relish independence and the world outside the screen, not within.

You can't lose the game when you're not playing.