If you find me

Looking at the world today, I find myself looking for myself out there. strange right? It’s like I fully expect one day to see someone, myself seemingly, and have the light bulb over my head go off. I will finally have ‘found’ me. Crazy, right? Not really though. Because in some sort of sardonic way, you know you feel the same way. Always looking around to find that style or accent or haircut or regime that suits what we think is a fitting simulation of ourselves. This thought elicits the profound use of citations and acronyms made popular by our current generation. Don’t get me wrong. I am a social media user. I’m quite the simpleton compared to my 30-something mom peer group but nonetheless, I have been known to #hashtagsomething #thinkingitmadeitmoreimportant #ormadeitlookcooler. #iamashamed. My apologies. These quirky little anecdotes paired with nifty little keyboard symbols can become quite addictive; and apparently imperative to understanding today’s youth. Where was I? Oh right, the current generation’s obsession with acronyms and hashtags.

I think for a moment about a popular acronym. It can be found on any social media outlet and likely Sharpied across any number of backpacks and locker doors in any one of country’s high schools; YOLO. For those of you who don’t know, and let’s be honest, we that do know, are embarrassed right now; this is an abbreviation for You Only Live Once. Profound, right? No. Not profound. This type of statement, commonly seen as #yolo, is much less profound than it is enigmatic. This is a way for us to be a part of the world, using its slang and little keyboard symbols, appearing relevant, yet hiding behind a few misplaced consonants. While we are out there looking for ourselves, we shadow who we really are behind things of the world, societal norms. I am just as guilty as the next person. Looking for the latest style and the last hairdo, often finding myself lacking because I finally grew my hair out and wouldn’t you know, short is in! Ugh!

There’s a trendy little app online that will answer the question “Which celebrity do you look like?” Just another example of how we are out looking for ourselves, another version, a better, more popular, more significant form of our being. Truth is, this is as good as it gets. I don’t mean to sound nasty, like you are as much as you’ll ever be and well, you’re lacking. What I mean is this: you are the only you that there is. Those being pure and simple fact, stop looking for yourself. You are right there. Hello? Do you see yourself? There you are, the one inhabiting your skin. Be you. You will be paramount. Think about it like this; who is there to compare yourself to, if you are the only you in the world. Oscar Wilde once said ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’ So, while YOLO (you only live once) and #jby (just be yourself) and KIG (keeping it gansta) are societies norm for describing ourselves or our current mood or self-perception, they are actually partitions to bury ourselves behind. Actually take hold of the concept that you only live once and try to actually be yourself. Use every moment. This day, today, will be the only today you will ever have. While it’s common to hear ‘live today like there’s no tomorrow’, I wouldn’t recommend it. Rather, I would encourage you to live today like there’s no other today and all you will have is tomorrow. How’s that for profound? I see a new trend on the brink. YJGM: You Just Got Mom’ed.  #tryingtobecool #toomanyhashtags #theyaretrulyaddictive #icantstop