Keeping Good Company

I feel so lucky to be around friends who inspire me. I get a sense of pride listening to them gush about their favorite directors, every minuscule detail of their day, and the lengths they'd go to hear their favorite bands live. It’s cool to be around them. It’s cool to be around people who appreciate things. People with passion. Those who channel their talent into art. It’s contagious. It makes me curious and encourages me to think about things differently. It makes me want to know more – to listen, read, watch, and think more. I walk away from every conversation with recommendations, unreleased songs to listen to, and “cult classics'' that I’ve missed out on somehow.

I think it matters a great deal to me and speaks volumes that when debriefing a movie, one of us is daydreaming about a character’s wardrobe, one is envious of their witty humor, and the other two are interested in the character’s career. It’s so endearing when people want to share their passion with you, when they want you to see what they see. In a world full of gatekeeping and clawing your way to the top, sharing your craft with others softens the heart.

I love how we frequently discuss wanting to live in each other’s lives for a day. For an advertising major to sit in on an organic chemistry lecture, for a dance major to do a dissection lab, and so on and so forth. It’s refreshing to be around a group where you feel comfortable not knowing everything. I never feel inferior for not being familiar with topics they talk about or what the words they so eloquently feed into conversation mean. I just feel energized, like there’s so much out there that I have yet to learn. Like my dear friend Caroline’s Pinterest bio says “I just feel so excited about so many things all of the time.” It’s oddly comforting. Instead of looking at it as a vast sum of reasons I fall short, I’m excited at the thought that the things I long to know are accessible.. (for the most part). The question of why Undo isn’t on The 1975’s setlist is still a mystery to me, but I digress.

I read something this weekend that said “you have to be interested to be interesting”. There’s something to be said for that. You shouldn’t always be the smartest in the room. There’s a fine line – knowing that you have permission to take up space in every room, but also knowing that “if talking is silver then listening is gold.” I’m still figuring it out. There’s an art to knowing when to be all ears, and when to share your thoughts. If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything! I’m not sure who said that but I’ve been thinking about it recently.

I suppose there’s no groundbreaking point to be made here. It’s mainly just that I’m an introspective girl with really great friends and a lot of thoughts and feelings. Putting them here helps. That’s all from me for now :)