People Who Need People

I think I may have said this before, but I've come to the conclusion that the most rewarding things in life tend to be our relationships with others and activities we do. I say this because our society subtly emphasizes that happiness comes from material things. I've written about this a little earlier here.

I've been fortunate over the past few months to have met a lot of new people. Some I would call friends whereas others were people I met once and will likely never see again. Nonetheless, I can't help but often feel enriched by even the briefest encounter, particularly if we shared a moment of sincerity.

In some ways I think humans are nearly as communal as ants in that most of us too crave touch and that feeling of closeness and connectedness. Unfortunately the downside of our enhanced self-consciousness makes us build up walls around us to separate and protect us.

In many social situations, people stand around and for the most part, talk to people that they already know. I am convinced that often, even the most unapproachable looking people, would gladly like to connect with others, but resort to the familiar because of the walls we've built. Of course this doesn't apply to everyone, but I believe it is more true than not. There have been a few places where I have noticed the walls that separate us come down. One has been at nude social events which is partly why I enjoy these so much. The other has been on the all-gay cruises that I've been on with the BF.

Lest you think that I think I am above such things, let me say that I too am not immune from building protective walls. For example, I am a touchy person. No I won't cry if you say something mean, but rather I am referring to liking to be touched and to touch others. However, I typically don't touch people I don't know well at all. I mean, not even the smallest, socially-acceptable touches. This is a wall I've built. Most people would probably enjoy the touch except that they too would become self-conscious and therefore feel awkward. Of course the irony is that in the end we both miss out on something that would be enjoyable because of both our respective hangups.

Anyway, the point is that I love people. I love their differences and their stories. I find that each person is unique and interesting and I take a little something away from everyone I meet. I find that everyone has something that bring to enrich the world if only we take time to dig past stereotypes and preconceived ideas to understand them. The only people that I tend not to like are those that I see mistreat or take advantage of others, even when they've treated me well. And I believe strongly that it is these interactions and relationships that enrich us and contribute to our happiness. I think we'd all be a little more happy if we'd just let ourselves be a little more.... human.