Necessary Somehow

I'm shy, and tonight I had to call my mom and get a pep talk before going through a line at a wedding. I did it (awkwardly), and as the night went on I even started a conversation with someone I didn't know. She lives in Germany and is visiting the United States for five weeks. I learned her name, what she was studying, and what she was planning to do during her time here. None of that information will come in handy someday. In fact, I probably won't ever see her again. And yet, it was necessary somehow. It was constructive.

I have spent some time thinking about why it is important to listen to the fleeting voices in life. Or at least why it's important to me. A few years ago, I tried really hard to not listen. Change is hard, and I got fed up with meeting people that would just move on and out of my life within a matter of months. I decided not to engage in any unnecessary interactions, and I checked out because I was certain that I didn't need short-term people in my life.

I struggled. A lot. I hit some kind of rock bottom, and it wasn't til then that I realized I was missing out on something essential to human nature. I didn't want to admit that I needed other people, but I do. I need other people even if they are only in my life for ten minutes. I need to have those awkward conversations at weddings with people I won't see again. I'm sure I could come up with a list of reasons why listening to the fleeting voices is a good idea. But for me, it is enough to know that life is better when I do. Even if it takes a few pep talks along the way.