Well, why not? Having not written for an extended period of time, perhaps it’s time to pay homage to the cathartic act of expressing emotion in literary form.

What Next?

What is it that we’re aiming for? What is it that will make us happy, or at least contented? The answers are always fluid ones, interchangeable based on a multitude of factors. What makes us happy today, may not give the same thrill tomorrow. Society and its incumbents are all captured by the idea of ‘what next?’ Forgetting the opportunity to embrace the now and be accepting of the journey to the current goal, instead choosing to cast the current aside in search of the next checkpoint goal to provide the happiness we so readily crave.

But what if we’re never happy? What if we consistently strive for things that are beyond our reach? Validation? Acceptance? Justification for what we do? And perhaps more importantly, how do we tangibly measure these things to allow us to fulfill the ideas we set out in terms of being able to record when these ideas are achieved?

Perhaps the simplest measure of achievement and satisfaction is in the most easily measurable form of money. It’s certainly undeniable that the majority of society is fascinated with the idea of acquiring wealth in order to demonstrate to others what they have achieved through displays of finances such as cars, clothing and houses. Talk to children in school and they’ll tell you that when they leave they want to have a good job and earn lots of money. There’s no talk of a job that they enjoy, nor a sum of money that allows them to be happy. The slaves to the dollar are encapsulated even before they’ve begun. What hope do we have? But what is the benefit of money when the most valuable commodity we have is time? Finding that balance between earning the necessary to support the lifestyle we wish to lead, whilst counterpoising that with leaving enough time outside of work to allow for the enjoyment of that money – that’s the key. Not being priced out of experiences or opportunities, whilst also not being left without the time to undertake those same opportunities would be the goal.

In a world now driven by likes, followers, shares, retweets and comments, society has become ever-increasingly desperate for validation. That photo on Instagram with the perfect filter and hashtag, is deemed a failure if too few people like it. Look around when you go out to dinner and see the number of diners gorging on their phones rather than their meals. The very premise of going to dinner to get out of the house and interact face-to-face with others has been lost. People snap their plates and share their evening with everyone; everyone except that person sat on the other side of the table. It’s the ‘What Next?’ issue all over again. What can I have after this? What tangible evidence can I have that I had a good evening? Though we’re closer to the reality of the continual rating system that Black Mirror depicts, your dining partner won’t give some the feeling of satisfaction that will be achieved through the number of likes and comments they get on their shared pictures. The idea of social interaction, whilst creating a anti-social environment of being glued to the phone, will cause the basic enjoyment of popping to the pub or restaurant to be lost.

So, with all that in mind; What Next? Who knows. It has certainly been cathartic. Vodafone used to say ‘It’s good to talk’ – so do so. Only with sounds and words, rather than characters and emojis.