The unsuspecting Love letter: Sharing
the taste of being devoured
Ode to be shared
careful now, those walls you built to keep the thing you fear out have started to crumble. I look around me and in a room of 20 people, 30% of them are actually sharing. It’s laughs, screen time, and conversation. The people in the room are accompanied with another but in this fretful act of “hanging out” they don’t really interact with one another. *shakespearean voice added for dramatic effect* Oh how weep and weary this dreary. Back to reality. I probably sound like a broken record but it’s scary. Scary to see how foreign human connection has become to us. Could the fears of slipping through the screen prevent us from truly being with one another?
We dive in head first. Silence so thick you can cut it with a knife. What would appear a fully occupied coffee shop with indistinctive chatter and noise is now a physical manifestation of a reverie. A sad echo chamber for keyboard clicks and screen taps. Escapism being the goal? What happened? where did we go? It used to be so pleasant, you sit, catch an eye and overhear something in conversation that happens to make you and the person next to you laugh. ((this happened to me)). See it all comes to me when im out on these field studies. sometimes accompanied, other times solo. on the solo studies I grab a coffee and pastry imagining the ultimate act of love. Sharing. To share: a part or a portion of a larger amount which is divided among a number of people, or to which a number of people contribute.Theres something so good about sharing. Almost as good as holding hands. Did I mention I like the way they fit when they’re interlocked? My friends laugh but I am so serious. There is so much nuance in sharing. In picking an item or something to shared there is beauty in the consideration and perspective. You’re probably reading this, thinking: you corny F(&^K.
Recently, the disconnect ive felt between people has been omnipresent. I think we’re entering this new weird liminal space that’s taking us whole. Impossible to ignore. longing to feel and be there for one another. There is something so rewarding about going somewhere and sharing a sliver or piece of you with someone. it could be an idea, a hug; it could be as abstract or concrete as you want it to be. I know this is something a lot of us struggle with: the friend deficit and lack of finances to do something together but we’ve forgotten some of the simple pleasures. A walk, a phone call, or a letter. When was the last time you rang up a friend? I know others are longing for the same things, we’re only human and we aren’t programmed to live in disconnect. We are socially driven beings. Of course, there is a spectrum and even I tire myself out sometimes. But more and more I enjoy the times everyones feeling each others company and laughing so much you didn’t even realize your phone was left at home or that it's been three hours later. In our group, if you bring out your phone you’re instantly booed. followed with a goblin-esq 👺 “PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY”👺.
The year of 2026 we’re throwing away ideas that don’t benefit us. There’s a communication gap between us, what we want, and the way we feel. A survey with more than 30,000 Gen Z Hinge daters ((data can be applied outside of dating to reveal a bigger fundamental issue)) revealed that 84% of Gen Z app daters are seeking new ways to build emotional intimacy. Lead relationship scientists Logan Ury and love and connection Expert Moe Ari Brown looked into causes for this, reasoning that we are the most fluid generation but we’re held back by mixed signals, and invisible gender norms that still shape the way we communicate. They leave us holding back. Its shocking to know that 42% of Gen z heterosexual women feel like the men they date aren’t interested in having deep conversations but 66% of heterosexual Gen Z men say they do want more meaningful chats. Share the feeling of the vulnerability hangover, it’ll serve as a talking point later when you can laugh about it.
only ones who know
Don’t shrink and sell yourself short. I think the most meaningful memories have some kind of sharing involved in them. Even if it’s little; the feeling is much bigger. Why would you want to hide that? Our desire for intimacy exists on all fronts, our fears and miscommunications keep it locked away. There is nothing better than having laughs with those closest to you.
Some things are meant to be shared. Laughs, cries, kisses, hands, hugs, glances, chats and time. It’s a lost art. When we stop to look we build empathy and compassion for others. Reminding us we’re only human. This is how we start things. Be present, be together, choose intimacy. it seems we’ve forgotten how.
- Zealed with a hug and promises of creating positive change.🫂
Join the discourse and share your thoughts
Fine, Fine
Only if you want
Ji