Rain, rain, and rain

Hunkered in the van, I listen to “Sweet Virginia” by the Rolling Stones, singing my lungs out. I live for these moments—these beautiful moments of solitude, just me and the thoughts of my 26-year-young brain. The rain gently hits the roof of my car, and my coconut lemon-scented candle dimly lights up the dark van. It’s a winter night in San Diego, and yeah, if someone asks me how I’m doing, I’ll say I’m doing alright because I am. I’m doing just alright. That’s the honest truth, simple.

If we all were honest when someone asked us how we were doing, I’m sure the following questions or responses would be so different. Typically, when someone asks how you’re doing, you usually say, “I’m doing good. How about yourself?” and they respond with, “I’m doing good as well,” and the conversation moves on, or it just dies out. Why ask anything else if both of you are “doing good”?

More of us should practice being honest about how we really feel when someone asks us how we’re doing. If you’re feeling terrible, say that. If you’re having the best day of your life, share that. And if you’re doing just alright, well, then that’s okay too.

Embracing these genuine shares could bridge gaps between us, opening a world where empathy and understanding thrive. It invites a deeper connection, encouraging others to open up in return, transforming casual exchanges into meaningful conversations. At the end of day, revealing true feelings is way of showing true human emotion making the chance for every interaction that we have with another person to be profound in someway, small or large.