Cascading wishes

In the grand scheme of things, my existence is meaningless, I’m just a speck.   Yes, I am probably a bit larger speck for relatives, friends, and acquaintances, but I am still a speck.   For some in the family, I could be nonexistent, and so also for the bigger circle of people, I may just about know.

There are only a few people who care about me and vice versa.   I suppose it happens with time and the paths we all take.  Paths can sometimes run parallel and wind up at crossroads only to travel in the opposite direction.  People who travel the same path end up spending more time together over time. Family members who are like friends are more precious as are friends who are like family.  

However, social media has connected these little dots, creating a form of family.   A stage for all and instant relationships.   Also, behind the scenes of these social media sites are the same people who, from the outside, appear to be perfect.  A flawless human being, perfect in relationships, perfect as a friend, parent, sibling, neighbor, and so forth. The list goes on and on. A personification of perfection.  This leaves the genuinely imperfect (like me) wondering how they can be so perfect. In either case, that’s a web with no end or a hole with no bottom.  It’s easy to get lost in there. So, it’s best not to think about it too much.   Wabi Sabi, or beauty in imperfection, is the concept I live by, and it leads to a calmer existence.

Every one of us has those special days throughout the year.   To begin with – birthdays, anniversaries, accomplishments, recognition, sorrow, or grief, to name a few follow during the year. The networking platforms that run alongside our lives (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and so on) contain a lot of memory from the data you feed into their guts.  A member of one of these groups on these social media platforms wishes someone a happy birthday or anniversary, and a chain of wishes follows.   No one, except possibly the first person to wish remembered.   Others simply believe it is an obligation to wish, celebrate, console, and keep the emoji pop-up coming on the group.   Most prime the emoji or abbreviation (RIP) selected must land on time.

After deleting the date of birth data fed into sites like Facebook, I feel so much better since I know that only those who care or care to remember will write down a birthday wish that comes from the heart and can be called “genuine.”   I have a few acquaintances on social media platforms who are no longer alive, but their pages still exist and their photos float about the internet, in a way not leaving this planet even in death.   I surely would not want to exist anywhere near this earth once my time comes to an end and the doors to another realm welcome me with wide arms – I hope!

Let’s head back to the front of the curtain.   A theatrical performance or an act performed with the sole purpose of receiving applause and cheers from the audience.   There are no feelings, sentiments, or emotions attached here. The stage is the world we live in and the façade we put up is the show in front of the curtain. The show goes on.

Extended family groups that span generations are formed by a single enthusiastic person, with additions appearing as members grow and deletions becoming obvious as they go.  Wishes of people who are not often seen or known, but who are united under the term of family.   Digital hugs that are meaningless yet pop up because of a calendar reminder.

With age, and partly because of the speed with which the world is moving, I and many others feel the need to psychologically downsize.  Fewer friends, fewer family members, specifically only those who care, fewer acquaintances, and fewer life hassles.   It is, in some ways, returning us to the inner circle from which we first emerged.   A dot or speck that strikes the center only to vanish into the universe and merge with the horizon to find serenity.  

Cascading wishes aren’t warm, usually, the words are copied from the internet, pasted, and forwarded. They come with a wrapping that, when peeled, sometimes reveals nothing but a vacuum within.  Let us make those wishes genuine even if you are a few days late.  At the very least, you know it originates from the center of the compartment that contains genuine emotions – the heart!