Hello, World

This is really just a project I’ve been wanting to work on for a while. Of course, I know that starting something is half the battle. The other half is actually staying consistent. This is quite difficult for me, but if I can stay consistent with this blog, I think this can be a great idea.

What do I think I’m doing here?

I am a very young man, but I have already seen so much shit. I have grown up to find myself in the center of a lot of polarized situations. Even though I make a living in Information Technology, I still find a way to hate technology and want to live life like it’s the 50’s. When it comes to cell phones, don’t even get me started. I think a lot. In fact, I do a hell of a lot more thinking than doing (don’t we all?). Maybe if I start a blog of all the things I think, I can leave my thoughts at the door and live in the real world.

Speaking of the real world, the differences in the perception of reality between an internet user and a person who lives in the moment is drastic. I spent almost all of my teenage years crammed in my bedroom scrolling through different social media platforms. I remember telling my high school Spanish teacher that my phone said I spent an average of nine hours per day on my phone. She was in complete disbelief (understandably so). I knew that this was a problem but I really didn’t think too much of it. I was just getting by and barely passed my classes. What did I really need to fix?

A lot, as it turned out. I spent so much time disconnected from reality that it felt like my teenage years had been robbed from me. I barely hung out with my friends, I got into relationships that really only existed through online chats and FaceTime, I scrolled for hours on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, you name it. In a way, my life really was stolen from me. But whose fault was that? Was it my parent’s fault for allowing me on these sites? Was it these content creators who make money off of my decaying brain? Was it this whole society’s fault for having to rely on their phones to pay for stuff, chat with friends, call an Uber, or order something on DoorDash? No, no, and no. It was entirely my fault for knowing that there was a problem, and not finding a solution, or distracting myself from this type of stimulus. There’s no one else to blame but me.

When did I begin my journey from the brain stimulus farm of oblivion to this interesting place known as the real world?

On the very day of my high school graduation, I decided to go to the mall because fathers day was coming up and I needed some presents. I went by myself. I walked into White Barn (an interesting candle store from Bath and Body Works) and met the salesperson (we’ll call her Angela for the sake of anonymity). She offered me some scented hand sanitizer and asked me what I was looking for. I told her about my father and she showed me some amazing smelling candles and some soap. She was so nice, we talked about where I was going for college, I told her about my favorite stores, and I also told her about my horrific high school experience. She was a really enjoyable person to talk to, and in that moment, I realized that I just connected with another person, and I did it myself. It was in that moment that I decided that the real world isn’t burning into ashes, but it wasn’t a magical unicorn dreamland either. The real world can be anything that you make of it. From that day on so many things happened which forced me straight out of my comfort zone. I traveled to the West Coast, I started seeing a Psychologist, I ate at some new restaurants, and for the first time in my years of living, I got myself a life. If I never left my bedroom and continued to be a couch potato, I would’ve never met Angela from Bath and Body Works, I would’ve never formed closer bonds with my best friends, I would never have been able to buy my family nice gifts for Christmas, and most of all, I would never have discovered all the wonderful things, beautiful or ugly, that the world has to offer.

So what is this blog? This is an anonymous blog written by a young man whose journey is to immerse himself entirely in his life in the world. Of course, I’m talking about the real world, not the world your in-laws love to trash on their Facebook page. There’s so much good waiting for you in this world; you just need to know where to look.

My target audience for this blog is for young men and women who are worried that there is nothing the real world has to offer, but anyone is welcome to read, especially if you feel like your life is meaningless in this virtual abyss. This is a personal invitation to the real world written especially for you. I’ll show you how to get there. We can go together.

Image credits: Erica Zhao “Opened Door With View of Cathedral”