We’re all in this together

I was driving home this weekend, listening to my iPod on shuffle when a song came on that I hadn’t heard in awhile.

It was a song by Ben Lee called “We’re All in This Together.” The basic premise of the song is we all share this chunk of rock we call Earth for a short time, and we might as well treat each other well while we’re here. I had always liked the song. It has a catchy beat, and it’s fun to listen to, but I had never really stopped and thought about the significance of the idea behind it.

You, me, the guy who cut you off on the way to work, the girl talking loudly on her phone in front of you — we’re all in the same boat at the most basic level. We’re all human. We all feel. We all face a lot of the same stresses, joys and failures. 

The guy who was a jerk to you in line at Starbucks? Maybe his dog died this weekend, or he and his girlfriend just had a fight. The girl who is obviously hungover in class?  Maybe she’s still trying to forget the awful conversation with her mom from the night before.

Or maybe they’re just messed up people. But does it really matter? I don’t think it does. I think it’s better to give people the benefit of the doubt. But there’s more to it than that. I think we can take it one step further. I think we can treat each other well.

I’m sure I’ve amazed you with this tremendously novel idea. Treat each other well? Who would have thought of such a concept?It’s an obvious thing to say we should be good to one another, but how often do we actually do it?

My challenge to you this week — do something nice for someone else unexpectedly. Does your roommate have a big test next week? Help him with household chores or cook him dinner. Have a friend who’s going through a rough time? Tell her you’re willing to listen — and mean it.

You might be thinking, “Jon, that sounds hard.” It isn’t, but I’ll give you an out anyway because those things do require some semblance of actual effort, and maybe that’s beyond your reach this week. Here’s an easy one. Simply smile at someone as you walk by them on campus or downtown. Not the creepy “I’m trying to hit on you” smile, but the one that conveys genuine warmth.

I was having a crappy day last week and had someone smile at me like that. Immediately I felt a rather gloomy day brighten, even if just a little.  Call me a pushover, a hippie or a delusional dreamer, but honestly, how much brighter would this world be if we all had the goal to try to make the people around us a little better off?

Maybe nothing would change. Then again, maybe it would change everything.I think it’s worth a shot.

­— jontodd@indiana.edu