2am in vegas
i don’t really believe in luck or coincidence.
you will hear me describe things as “lucky” from time to time, but that’s only because i don’t feel like getting into the big spider web discussion of why i think things happen for a reason or purpose that we may or may not know. and it always sounds hippie-ish when i do try to explain it.
anyways..
right now i’m in vegas and it’s 2AM. no, it’s not what it sounds like. i’m here with a friend and we were back in the room by like 11. but unsurprisingly, i can’t sleep and just have a lot of energy for 2AM.
so follow me with this:
it’s interesting how things become familiar when you’re in a place so often. like, it’s not a hometown feeling but you just get used to certain things, such as where to go for lunch, and you no longer need a map to get to where you want to go. even some of the people become familiar faces - the people at the front desk, behind the counter at the starbucks directly across from the elevator, or those working on the construction sites two blocks down. eventually, you visit a place so often that you begin to recognize each other enough to get a friendly nod and “hey, what’s up?” instead of the formal, “can i help you with something?”
and to be completely transparent: certain “homeless” people have become quite familiar to me here in vegas at this point. i use quotations because in one of my university classes, i was told some people prefer “houseless” as opposed to “homeless” and i am absolutely not the one to say what’s right and what’s wrong, so i want to address it with as much respect and kindness as i can.
it’s fair to say that everyone has their own personal opinions when it comes to the topic of homelessness, but what’s not up for debate is that it affects so many people in ways you cannot imagine unless you’re in their shoes.
here’s my bias, just so we’re clear: i believe that maybe a decision and a half separates me from them. truly. they are people - they have hearts and brains and hopes and dreams and fears and favorite songs and so many other things in common with you. it’s not my place to try to explain the where, why, and how that led them to the position they’re in. it’s just not. they’re human, just like me and you.
so i try to help as often as i can. in any way that i can. and i do so without any type of reservation, because i see them as people just like me.
now let’s circle back to why i’m writing this at 2 am: i started reading this book tonight and one sentence on the very first page jumped out at me and it. just. clicked.
this book was a last minute buy and a last minute addition to my suitcase. (you can call it luck or chance but i think i was obviously supposed to read this book right now for a reason.)
the sentence:
everyone notices but no one sees.
💡lightbulb moment.
what i keep thinking about all summed up in six little words: everyone notices but no one sees. so simple but so true.
regardless of how someone might look, they’re still a human just like me and you. i don’t understand people who treat them like walking zombies or the boogeyman reincarnated two feet in front of them.
it’s scary to think that you can become so immune to someone on a different life path than you that you no longer see them for who they are. you see them for who you think they are. or even worse: what you think they are.
it’s wrong. i can’t wrap my brain around it, yet i saw it happen time and time again tonight. and i know it’s not a lightning-strike, rare thing. everyone notices the homeless person asking for change, but rarely does someone see them as a real person in need and deserving of help.
and while homelessness might be what’s on my mind right now, you can apply that statement to anything, really: global warming. racism. sexism. mental health. addiction. excessive consumerism. gentrification. the list goes on.
it’s astonishing to me how deeply passionate some people will get about trivial things like pop culture while choosing to turn a ‘blind’ eye or engage in dismissive behavior when it comes to the person sitting right next to them.
don’t get me wrong - i can be guilty of this, too. and i don’t think you need to become a martyr for every major issue in the world. i don’t necessarily even think that it’s healthy.
but don’t get so distracted by the so-called “glamour” of life that you only notice, but don’t see, the humanness around you.
look someone in the eyes and acknowledge that they’re human. smile. ask them a question. share the number for local resources. you don’t need to spend money - i know everyone has their own thing with doing that. at the very least, show respect and kindness. empathy. it goes a long way.
everyone notices, but no one sees.
