On Earth, we're briefly noticed

Most of us, most of the time, are not thinking about other people.

And likewise, most people, most of the time, are not thinking about us.

It’s possible to go days, weeks, or even months without thinking about someone you were once close to.

Then suddenly, you might think, “Oh, I wonder what John is up to?”

Perhaps you’ll search them up on Instagram, TikTok, or maybe even LinkedIn. And if you’re particularly proactive, you might send a message or call to check in on how they’re doing.

But if you saw no updates, and didn’t receive a reply, there’s a good chance you probably wouldn’t be all that worried. After all, people are living their own lives, and not everyone is chronically online.

The truth is — John may have died. Days, weeks, or even months ago. And you wouldn’t have noticed. Not because you didn’t care, but because you were living your own life.

That’s the paradox. We all want to feel significant. To feel seen by others. But for most of us, there are very few, if any, people who are embedded enough in our lives to truly notice if we were to disappear one day.

That’s not to say that all of our connections were meaningless. In the moment, they mattered. The inside jokes we shared. The late-night walks. Or the care we showed when someone really needed it. All those moments were meaningful, and they stay with us for the rest of our lives.

However, over time, and with distance, the daily act of “noticing” goes away. You move on, they move on, and the world moves on.

It’s highly likely that we’ll all experience this at some point in our lives, especially in those in-between moments where we’re not anchored to a community. But perhaps it’s not something we have to fight. Just something we have to acknowledge.

On Earth, we’re briefly noticed.

So while we’re here, let’s notice each other a bit more.