Not a Lot Going On at the Moment

A few weeks ago, while I was surfing the web and looking at memes (as the youths do), I came across an interesting picture of a diary entry from July 20, 1969, with a funny little caption underneath. Neat handwriting adorned the page, and the first few paragraphs detailed the life of a seemingly pre-teen girl from that era. She lamented a mean girl in her class and described the boy who’d winked at her in the corner store. She also wrote about a book she was reading for school when it picked up in the fall. But the very last line, a sentence composed of only three words, read: Man on moon.

I was shocked! This girl lived through one of the most amazing technological advancements in recent history, and yet, she could only focus on her own insignificant troubles. The human race left the Earth’s atmosphere and set foot on a celestial body, but yet, this young girl prattled on and on about her friends having a sleepover without her. It made me laugh a little bit, probably out of sheer surprise, so I hit the “like” button and kept scrolling.

But then recently, I started thinking about the diary entry again, and I think I get it. I mean, I’m living through a global pandemic and the current mess that is American politics. Am I fixating on current events? Nope. I’m worried about my homework, my college applications, my job, my friends and the people who annoy me. I complain about my chores. I do my mindless tasks, and I empty and reload the dishwasher in a continuous cycle until I feel as though the plates will surely erode into nothing. I switch laundry, dry to wet to dry again, and watch the machine spin in circles, but I’m certainly not journaling about anything other than my own personal problems. And I’m definitely not describing the world around me. In fact, I’m actively avoiding it.

It just seems so strange to me that I know I’m living through a pivotal moment of the 21st Century, and yet I sit on the couch and scroll through TikTok for hours every day. I’ve kept up with all the trends: whipped coffee, "Tiger King," too many podcasts to count, resin casting, skin care and baking bread. But aside from wearing my mask, washing my hands way more and going out way less, nothing is happening in my life. I sit at home and do the work expected of me, and I pretend the world isn’t ending outside my window.

While my current situation definitely isn’t that dramatic, I just wanted to reflect upon the fact that my life has never been more yet less interesting. I’m afraid for the future, and I’m just sitting on the couch. Not a lot going on at the moment.