As I read Amit Varma’s post on August 22 about the need to get away from society and its craziness in order to find the time and peace to collect one’s thoughts, I was struck by the question at the end of the post:
What is there to be said that hasn’t been said already? What do our own words matter in that din?
A couple of months ago, Andy Wood, a communications professor had asked the same question in a different way:
After all, this post, for all its hand-wringing angst and its clever references, said nothing new, did it? All I’ve offered is yet another echo in the same shrinking chamber.
Although it may seem that there is nothing new to add to the mix, I think each of us bring a new perspective, new thoughts, new ideas from a unique vantage point.
I’ve wondered many times why anyone would want to read what I have to say – after all, it’s all been cataloged before by someone more articulate and knowledgeable, someone who’s an expert or has researched the topic in depth, someone who has more wisdom and experience.
And all this content – this “better” content – is accessible to anyone who wants to Google for it.
So, why then, do you – my readers – visit this blog? Why, then, do I spend my time and energy writing every day?
I have arrived at the conclusion that it’s because I have something meaningful to add to the din.
Maybe the core of the idea has already been presented before, but I bring to it my unique perspective.
The person I am today is a sum total of my experiences – the accident of birth being the most prominent.
Sure, a lot of Indian women my age have migrated to the United States after being born and raised in India, but do they have the same exact set of experiences I did?
No.
If I weren’t born to working middle-class parents; if I weren’t the only child they had; if they hadn’t sent me to one of the best schools in the city; if I hadn’t received encouragement and support to think for myself; if I hadn’t gone to Iowa City before coming to California; if I had had an arranged marriage – the scenarios are endless.
Every step of the way I have had experiences, gotten opportunities, formed relationships that have helped me evolve as an individual and shaped a certain viewpoint.
That is what I share with you.
I do have something to add to what has been said already.
My own words matter in this din because they’re relevant, they present a different take, and a lot of “average” people can relate with them.
These aren’t just echoes in a shrinking chamber — this an original voice in a fast-expanding, interconnected, heterogeneous online world.
I have a story to tell that no one else can tell for me.
How about you?
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Mansi you are the storyteller of your life. No one else can tell it because they have not lived your story. You therefore have a lot to offer.
We may be on the same journey but the beauty is that we can take different directions to reach the same destination!
Mansi you are the storyteller of your life. No one else can tell it because they have not lived your story. You therefore have a lot to offer.
We may be on the same journey but the beauty is that we can take different directions to reach the same destination!
I couldn’t agree more. How I wish others would be so open with their perspectives, thoughts and feelings. I think that is one of the great problems in America today – we are all so closed with our feelings. We don’t seem to have a hard time sharing our opinions but when it comes to the opening of the chamber from whence those opinions come, rarely do we unlock the door. We all have such different experiences and the more we know about those things the more we understand the world. At least in my opinion.
What a wonderful way to put it, Savira: “We may be on the same journey but the beauty is that we can take different directions to reach the same destination!” Loved it.
A good opinion, that. It’s hard for people to open up and really share who they are — I think a part of it is also because people don’t really take the time to introspect and ask the difficult questions…it’s vital to go on that journey of self-discovery to have the conviction and ability to share our inner-most selves.