Things I learned in 2018

A popular tweet making the rounds this holiday season asks for "your top 3 personal accomplishments of 2018".  It isn't often that Twitter aims for any kind of constructive reflection, so it got me thinking. The first one's a little embarrassing: I finally understand, on a scientific level, what people mean when they say we're all stardust. I know the rigours of capitalism insist that we collectively roll our eyes in response to this notion because, if we don't, it's threatened, but wow. The entire, fragile trajectory of existence as we know it, from the Big Bang until now, further sanctifies everything I felt spiritually about ego and underscores that we should live our lives as authentically as possible, results be damned. So that, in itself, represents a major life hack.

This leads to my #2 accomplishment, which is ongoing: surrounding myself with people and challenges that I have an authentic connection with. Sometimes that requires confrontation (something I'm getting better at) and sometimes it requires space (something I'm perhaps too good at) but I've been blessed this year with honest friendships and creative, humbling challenges.

Rounding out my "top 3" and coming full circle, I'm ditching Twitter. I admire many of the people I follow and concede that, in most cases, I won't have a direct line of communication with them any longer. This is a drag because the conversations I've had with many Twitter-friends have been heartening and supportive. But being subjected to each person's likes and retweets turns my timeline into a compost dump of insecurities and open letter accusations. Although I'm in agreement with most of my followers regarding human rights and democratic principles, they present their views in a way that undermines what they intend to defend. You cannot insult someone into agreeing with you. Spewing vitriol on those who disagree truly makes the world more divided and more violent.  (Edit: as of November 2019, I'm back on Twitter. I didn't miss the service itself but rather colleagues I had no other convenient ways of communicating with.) You can still find me on Instagram, where I take photos of trees and stuff.

Wishing everyone a peaceful New Year.