I was talking with a theater director about another theater having some financial issues. Major financial issues, if you must pry. This news was not received with any joy, nor should it be. “That means it is systemic.” Waning, or vanishing, support is not surprising. We’re in a period of real cultural shift, and this is what that looks like. Some things come back newer and stronger, others fade into the past. How people interact with these cultural pillars is changing.
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Talk Shit and Get Fresh Air /
Never underestimate the power of walking with a friend for the sole purpose of talking shit and tackling the worlds problems. We need more of that. My friend Jordan (his real name) and I take a weekly walk and hash out issues of the day, and I love it. Simple conversation: where one person talks, the other person listens, and then speaks to the first person is how we’re going to get out of this mess of existence.
As much as I love social media for its ability to connect people and grow community, it isn’t a substitute for real life shit talking on foot.
Jordan and I both agree life is complex, and most people just want to be happy. We don’t have to agree on all subjects, but having a good faith conversation is refreshing. There is no “dunking” on one another. We walk, talk, and laugh a little. There are no losers in this dynamic.
Humans are status driven by nature. It makes sense that all social media platforms morph into engineered status games. If you know how to play, you get more status. There is a place for it, but it is no substitute for the in-person chat session.
I took a road trip to Arizona with my friend Qarie. That was four days of driving, with plenty of silences, but lots of just talking about anything that came to mind. We both loved it, even when we disagreed.
Social platforms are the public square, and that isn’t an intimate space; even when we engage in them while sitting on the can. It’s important to remember that we need both (public and intimate) in order to thrive. Probably more of the later than former, but that’s just my opinion.
So, call your friend and take a walk for the sheer joy of connecting over nothing in particular.