Thank You, My Friends

I am not my fellow man, and I am glad of those who are bored by my ramblings. I tend to see things that strike me as frightfully, and I mean frightfully important, not only to me but to every individual. This importance stirs up my soul such that I want to proclaim, “Eureka!” from the rooftops. Usually I do so with full self-expression, at least among my closer friends.

But their face often reveals a curious reception. Though they do realize the real import, they are only mildly interested in what I am saying. My own excitement, lament, or confusion is far more in the forefront of their mind. Their conception is not of one person bestowing a grand truth upon another, but of two friends journeying on life’s way. A smile appears as they appreciate my personality, irrespective of the content of my thoughts. And this is from love, and perhaps from trust. Internally or externally they chuckle at the zeal that is my own, because in that moment the differences of people is made comfortable through miraculous friendship.

I feel immense gratitude for this difference of lives, because without others I am fairly certain that I could not laugh at myself. None of us has the least bit of ridiculousness when we look from within ourselves, but our absurdity is apparent when we consider ourselves from an outside perspective. To laugh at myself when I am philosophizing on truths that matter is to become my friend as he observes me with a dwelling in his world. It is to become another who has more immediate concerns than the intersection of existentialism and abortion, concerns such as the dirty dishes or the weekend plans.

This Other with allegedly smaller thoughts is not inferior to the great pontificator with his skyscraper ego (me), but in fact is equally valuable and in many respects, is superior. It is not the leaders who run the world, but the workers. However, silly visionaries are needed too, or else the errands and chores would multiply into circles of nothingness.

So I hope the thinkers have friends who laugh at them with innocent love, and I hope the thinkers learn from the laughter. I hope the doers have friends who share the passion they receive from ideas, and I hope the doers learn from the passion.

Finally, it ought to be said that everyone is both a doer and a thinker at different times. But some of us are more often one or the other, and thanks be to God for that.