You and I

Let’s see. We’re both human beings. I’m female, you may be either female or male or consider yourself something in between. There are really no limits and no set definitions anymore. Anyone, who believes in set definitions is definitely wrong here. Sorry, you may leave now.

I have no preconceptions of who you might be. As far as I am concerned, you are just you and I am going along with your definition of who that is. I don’t know you yet, maybe I know you a little, one or two of you I may know reasonably well.

I will never know you as well as I know myself and you will never know me as well as you know yourself. I will never allow you to know me that well, despite of all the things I might share with you and that I have blogged about, I remain shallow to you.

That is my choice. The tip of the iceberg is what you will see, the masks I wear and chose to show you.

That is nothing personal and has nothing to do with my like or dislike of your person. It’s my choice as an introvert person. You may be surprised to hear that I am an introvert, or maybe you’re not. If you’re not, then let me thank you. If you are surprised I suggest you read up on what it means to be introvert and what it means to be extrovert.

Now, you and I are, perchance, very different. We were likely born in different countries, belong to different cultures and have been nurtured by parents with different values and philosophies. In that I was lucky. I have always been lucky in many ways. If you’ve followed my blog for a while or know me well, you will have heard (or read) me speak (or write) of my luck.

I stand by that.

But, you and I still belong to the same species. We fundamentally share the same DNA and we’re likely only separated by six degrees, meaning that you and I may share, somehow, common friends of friends of friends.

We inhabit the same planet, the same biosphere. We may even share common ancestors. In fact, it is very likely that we do, if we go far enough back into the past.

If you really want to get your mind blown read up on mitochondrial DNA and how we relate on that level to one another.

You and I may or may not follow different religions, philosophies and ideals. We may or may not be more inclined towards our own or the opposite gender. We may or may not be emotional or rational, fall on different points on the IQ or EQ scales and may or may not know about or have ever taken a Myers-Briggs test.

Maybe you studied, maybe you didn’t. Maybe you have siblings, maybe you don’t. Your family may be very close or rather estranged. For my family both is true, but it depends on how closely you look, if we’re close in the inner circle and estranged in the outer ones.

You may read a lot or watch TV shows instead. Maybe you love certain actors that I can’t stand and in turn you couldn’t care less about those that I idolize.

You may know, who I talk about when I rave about Frida Kahlo. Or you have to pick up your smart phone and google her name, nodding at the same time, because some of those paintings look vaguely familiar.

You may be more patient than me. You could also be horribly rash in your opinions and abrasive in your behavior.

There’s no denying that you and I are different and chances are that we will find more differences than things we may have in common.

And you know what? That is okay by me. I don’t want you to share each and every one of my opinions. I want you to challenge me and put me down a peg, if I feel horribly superior, because it’s just that time of the day for me. I want you to teach me about your passions and show me your point of view so I can learn. I want you to give me the time of the day and hear me out, even if you don’t agree with me.

I don’t need you to like me and I will never pretend to be your friend, if you don’t fit my requirements for a friendship. And I don’t want you to be offended, because I don’t mean to offend. I am just being me and there is no mean spirit in me, even though I can be impatient and arrogant and frustrated and stressed and have low impulse control sometimes.

But that’s my problem and I won’t make it yours, not intentionally anyways.

You and I, coming full circle, are ultimately human, ultimately flawed and different with lots of friction points and disagreements and yet, somehow the same. Because we share hopes and fears and worries as well as accomplishments and little victories and the dreams of a better future for all of us individually and as a whole.

You and I are really not that different. Ultimately, you and I, we are the same.

And I am glad to have met you, will be meeting you or be seeing you around.

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