The Dichotomy that is My Social Life…

Clarity has been reached, and with it, a feeling of extreme helplessness to direct and control my social destiny. Diversity in life is important, and surrounding yourself with a diverse grouping of individuals is extremely healthy. That being said, I also feel that one should choose friends wisely, as you will undoubtedly be influenced by them. But what happens if the friends surrounding you are not chosen, but are a result of a common activity, social club, or belief system (church, for instance)?

I am surrounded by the oddest assortment of social groups. Each group is interconnected in some form or fashion, but one rarely chooses to be associated with the others in social settings.

This little revelation was made clear to me at a recent party I attended (and organized). After arriving, each individual filtered into what I like to call his/her “comfort group” and proceeded to spend the rest of the evening with that particular grouping of individuals. Everyone knew each other, but there was little to no intermingling between groups. There were those who bridged the gap though, interacting with each group, trying to “be all things to all people” as it were. During the meal, you could see the separation of groups, with both the groupless, and “gap bridgers” sitting in the middle.

I guess that little party was a fairly good representation of society as a whole. You have your exclusive groupings, your social misfits that don’t seem to fit into any group, and then your “gap bridgers.”

So what is the ideal? Should everybody attempt to be a “gap bridger”? Or is this just another facet of one’s unique personality (i.e. outgoing vs. introverted)?

For me, feeling at ease regardless of the setting or group is ideal. Having the ability to converse with both geek and socialite, businessman and artist, vagabond and boy scout is talent that I aspire to perfect at some point in my life.

Is this possible? Time will tell...

Inspiration, or the Lack Thereof…

What causes inspiration? It obviously varies from person to person, but there is usually some type of input from an exterior source that precedes the moment of inspiration. Maybe it was a sonnet, beautifully composed and performed, or perhaps a poignant photograph that captured an elusive flash of raw emotion. Regardless of the stimuli, the majority of great inspirational moments are triggered by an outside source.

Is this a safe assumption? Or does true inspiration and genius come from within?

I’ve been stewing over this topic for a few weeks, without coming to a satisfactory conclusion. I know that for me personally, great literarily works tend have the greatest inspirational effect. My vocabulary improves, my writing improves, and my ability to express myself verbally improves, all as a result of mentally digesting the works of a literary genius.

Following this same line of thinking, the simplest path to becoming an uninspired bore would be to cease my intake of literary works, thus allowing my creative flow to grind to a halt…

Gosh that was idiotic.

Note to self:

Go to library ASAP.