People are amazing

One of the gifts that comes with getting older is seeing people show up, time and again, and surprise you.

Yes, we’re in a highly divisive world. There’s so much bad going on, it feels so depressing and uncertain at times.

I’ve recently been going through The Rest is History and listening to various series such as the French Revolution, the history of Britain as a whole, the history of WW1 and WW2, the Caesars, Cortez, and more. It’s a great podcast by the way that I heartily recommend. At the moment I’m on the free tier.

One of the things that really stands out is the wars, conquests, deaths, pain, and hurt that’s come throughout the ages. Much of what we listen to, when we sit down to hear about history, is one person coercing another, and trying to understand the fallout from that. The French Revolution in particular is a crazy story to hear, the details are fascinating, and very much rated R.

There’s so much bad that’s happened throughout history. And frankly the stories of conquest make for interesting tales that pull the attention of minds. Hardcore History exists for a reason, to dive into the crazy tales that have made up this world.

So much bad has happened, and there are endless stories of the woes of conquered people.

Why then, did I start this off by calling out the amazingness of people? Because there’s an alternate side to all this. Yes, there’s this almost innate desire within so many people to conquer, to coerce, to force, to bend the will. But on the other side of that we see people giving, sharing, helping, and selflessly loving.

We can’t ignore the bad, but we can absolutely appreciate the good. Years ago I had a situation where a kind friend sat me down and explained why violence was never the answer in getting our way, in forcing someone to come to our side. She focused on reason, encouragement, proper boundaries, and using words.

That’s stuck with me my entire life.

I’ve been so privileged to build up friendships, spend time with family, and be around people I love and who love me. Have others around me been perfect? Absolutely not. But then again, have I? Decidedly not.

There exists of course a space for boundaries, legal enforcement, and keeping one person protected against the harmful intentions of another.

But outside of that, this messy world where we make mistakes, don’t always say the right thing, and step on each other’s toes? That’s all part of this big ball we circle around, and each day I’m thankful to have amazing people be join me on this journey.

I love to learn something new each day from the interactions I have alongside family, friends, coworkers, strangers, and even people I disagree with. Each interaction is a chance to learn, to grow, to push myself, and to see outside of the bubble in my own head.

I’ve been consistently surprised by the kindness of others, and in turn I find ways to reach out and move that kindness forward.

Looking at nearly four decades of life, I’m excited to see where the next four go. Maybe I’m still on a Dark Matter kick, but I’m finding myself just appreciating with more vividness the kindness and impact of those around me.

So I say again, I appreciate the amazing people. And if you’re not sure, that’s you I’m talking about.