Picture you are centered in a room with strangers never before seen, claustrophobia kicks in as introductions are performed. Your brain reminds you, “ this has to be done to prove that you are not some mute, but a functioning member of society.” Though that sounds weird in itself, but public interaction, should prove to be simple. The person beside you finishes their bit, and as quickly as the person finishes you begin. Such customs should be nothing new; it should come natural but usually they do not. Exhaling, as you feel your body shiver and contract from such a trivial event. With that a familiar process begins, and the voices around intensify, as your brain begins digesting the surrounding. Time slows down painfully, and everything around is much more vivid, much more than it was before. The vent above creaks as cool air slides down your hair. The sun forces its way in through the shades and frolicks across the table dancing to the edge, and devoured by a shadow. Back and forth the shadow goes, mesmerizing, soothing your thoughts. Then wham the intolerable act of a friendly person forcing conversation upon you, like a parent sending the “airplane” into a baby’s mouth. The usual muck of “How is everyone’s day going so far,” or “what did you do this weekend.” Question time: is it more rude to say nothing, or answer with complete sarcasm, just to be safe both will be done. Obnoxiously that one girl everyone knows to be the annoying one interjects, “how diverse and progressive the group is.” Disgusting is it not, when another human claims a high horse that is already dead, if not dead then be assured they will beat it till so. The group continues on allowing a retreat into the cranial fortress. Each person expressing how progressive they are and superior their beliefs about minorities and equalities are, compared to the current ruling party. “Excuse, me I did not catch your name.” 

“Oh it is Tabeus.”

The usual ramble heard after mentioning the name is it Roman it sounds Roman, or how unique, I’ve never heard that before. Which is quite obvious since something is by definition unique if it is rare or uncommon. An interesting name, usually means an interesting person, “so tell us one word that describes you.” A wide grin forms, pride begins to bubble up to the surface gasping for the air it so needs to quench its infinite lungs, “communism of course.” The tongue relishes the word like fine dining in the most expensive restaurant imaginable. It appears the word is a real crowd pleaser as the group turns their attention intrigued by a word most notably compared to evil. Usually shyness would rear its ugly head, or is it shame to be an outcast among peers. The two never see the light of day as questions come left and right about the subject. One girl asks, “does that mean you want everyone to be equally poor?” This causes a special laughter and a retort of, “why would anyone wish to be poor? Let alone equally poor as the guy next to you?” Plus a more rare question of, “What made you become communist?” Peculiar is the question for there are many answers but none alone seem to catch the true magnificence of such an ideology. A condensed version of my conversion would be the meeting of my best friend Lazarus, though I have always shared the ideals. In one moment the arduous task of being with the group changes to a fun gathering. No more fear was present as everyone began divulging their personal views without the threat of being insulted. Nothing could be more beautiful than, sitting in a small drafty, and stale room besieged by the Arizonian heat with the future of the world discussing change and how best to achieve it.

Now from this story so far it appears to be propaganda, but truly it is more. This generation is the most connected and also the most disconnected. Social media made it possible to talk without actually being there, which lead to an awkward generation not comfortable with face to face talking. But it also allowed the transformation from naive children to well informed young adults. As Steinbeck put it, “No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself,” and that belief allows for connections. Over time it became harder for people to have any empathy towards the other with so many different groups being mixed so quickly. The type that allows bonds unseen before to grow and flourish. Never before has so much potential been endowed on a generation. We are a generation born to forge a new path of ingenuity but none of that is possible if, such tasks as face to face communication is impossible. Once the barriers are broken there is no limit to the innovation we can bare.