I’ll admit that I’m a frequent sufferer of FoMO. For those of you who don’t enjoy reading about media theory in your spare time (so...normal people), FoMO stands for the “Fear of Missing Out.” It’s a recent phenomenon resulting from the pervasiveness of social media, and our tendency to filter our postings. All that we see from one another is our highlight reel, and when the only things you see from someone’s life are highlights, you naturally assume that’s all that they experience. No one’s posting selfies with their disappointing leftover meatloaf on a Wednesday night, folding their laundry while binging on a show they’ve already watched 7 times through, or crying themselves to sleep over a nasty breakup. And why would you? I’m not here to scold anyone for posting pictures of memories they cherish, rather than something mundane or painful. Hell, I do the exact same thing. This is just commentary from a 25-year-old who doesn’t really know what she’s doing in life but is just trying to not suck too hard, so you can take it or leave it.
ANYWAYS.
The problem is that majority of our lives are not spent on our highlights, they’re spent in the everyday grind. And even for those of us who don’t already suffer from social anxiety, the thought of “god your life sucks compared to everyone else’s” can too easily drift through your mind while seeing everyone’s vacation pictures and nature hikes. It’s especially troublesome when those posts are captioned with something that was obviously intended to be inspirational but comes off as disingenuous, insinuating that the poster has discovered the key to a fulfilling life, as if there could be just one.
I’m here to tell you: my life is pretty mundane. I’ve been working 9-5 in an office since I was 21. I spend a good portion of my day talking about the weather with colleagues whom I may not even particularly like. Sometimes I spend almost 2 hours in the car commuting because of the ever worsening Seattle traffic. I haven’t left the country since I went to Russia. I spend a decent amount of my disposable income on a shrink. And you know what? I fucking love my life. It’s amazing! I don’t worry about spending a little too much money on things. I work for a kick-ass company that makes me feel valued, and I am damn good at my job. I am lucky enough to live with Calder, the love of my life. Even with an undeniably monotonous schedule, I still manage to go to concerts, see friends, explore nature, and even travel. But I’m not sure which I would choose...the mental exhaustion and feeling of a job well done after completing a 3-month RFP project that would bore any of you to tears if I went into detail, or the overwhelming rush of being surrounded by people I love watching Gogol Bordello tear the stage up against a Gorge sunset.
Our lives are dynamic, and the things that bore us are just as important as the things that excite. Waiting in line at the bank teaches us patience. Boredom at work pushes us to be creative. Existential dread motivates us to do things that have meaning, and thus we build character. And, most importantly, the grind shows us just how wonderfully fantastic our highlight reels really are. So, with this in mind, I’m going to start posting the mundane as if it were the opposite. Consider it a friendly reminder that, even if you’re having a less-than-instagram-worthy-
