Are you aware of the word ‘sonder’? Well, there’s a good chance you don’t considering it’s not really a word recognized by official dictionaries or on your SAT’s. It’s actually a word derived from a man by the name of John Koenig, who is the creator of "The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows." Give his blog a checkup, he has plenty of great ideas accompanied by inspiring videos to give further appreciation for the English language parallel to the complications of concepts in themselves. With that, take a look at his definition for sonder. ‘sonder’ - n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. It’s something you probably don’t think about quite too often is it? That woman you turned and gave a glare at for having a screaming child at the supermarket, first impression/asshole remark in our head was she should parent a little better I guess, right? I mean who does that right, has a child crying all the time…
Likely, you didn’t think twice about what’s going on in her life. It’s only natural, isn’t it? We are in control of our mind, nobody else. And our brain is constantly in process thinking about how we can further survive and better our existence. Most of the time that turns out to looking out for our own. It’s kind of scary to think that there are billions among billions of humans exactly the same as us that are doing what we are doing: trying to survive. But they’re just another living thing on the face of the earth hmm? We probably care about a puppy more than we do a certain amount of people we know, I know I’m guilty of such. Have you ever even considered in a way your parents to be strangers sometimes? What were their lives like before they had us? What’s rushing through their head right now that you’re in their space?
When you wake up next morning I want the first thing for you to do is to appreciate what’s going on in the world around you. I want that to be the first thought perhaps after you get a little caffeine in those rusty gears of yours. I want you to contact your best friend and then maybe an acquaintance that you don’t talk to too often. Genuinely try to engage yourself in conversation and ask how they are doing? How’s life going? Maybe just a little 10-minute conversation out of your day from skimming on Facebook or crying in bed about no Frank Ocean album yet. You like it when people check up on you right and care for what you have to say? Compassion shouldn’t be a one-way street. There are people in your life that could use it right now, they would genuinely be happy that you took the time out of your complicated life to talk about their complicated life.
In this year we’re seeing some horrific things going on in society. Perhaps a big part of it is due to the internet’s children being all grown up and developing realizations of the world now - everything and everyone is broadcast now. No matter how difficult our lives may get sometime, may we remember when we walk outside and see our neighbor gardening, the president on the television, the child getting bullied, the manager of a store, the thousands of people behind the wheel...let’s keep in mind that Earth will get nowhere with hostility. We don’t have to like everyone we meet, but without understanding and acceptance of other, where will we end up. Our life is no more important than the next, but we all deserve to be loved. It’s difficult to remember that. Sonder on, folks.
