I am not physically lonely, but sometimes I long for a mental equal.
Sometimes I go off on history rants about how 4000 years ago the Goddess-worshipping Minoans had flushing toilets 1500 years before ancient Rome, and hot and cold running water for their sinks and bathtubs, and even average homes had sophisticated heating systems where heat was generated under the floor. And how the same was true in ancient Mexico, the indigenous Maya city of Palenque being the earliest known example of engineered water pressure in the "new world."
My dad thinks ancient people didn't have running water or toilets because he imagines them all like rural poor in third world modern society. A common assumption. So I texted my dad some facts and he said he had to read it several times to understand. I didn't think I was being abtruse. But sometimes I do get blank looks when I explain things to loved ones. It's intellectually isolating. Sometimes I don't want to play teacher.
Matilda was my nickname in fifth grade. I also feel like Belle in Beauty and the Beast's '"there must be more than this provincial life" except I don't live in a provincial town anymore. I thought moving to the city long ago would magically surround me with intellectuals but that didn't exactly happen, although the level of education here is one of the highest in the nation. I guess the true nerds among us have all been at home quietly reading books and writing in our diaries?
But I'm the type of nerd who can also be a social butterfly when required. I dance very well when the music is good, I love adventure and travel, and I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty or try new things, or make mistakes. I'd love to know more multifaceted people, without the typical extremes of either nerds who never experienced actual life, or constant thrill seekers at the other end of the spectrum who never slow down long enough to read a book. I love a dabbler! I love a jack of all trades. And I love love love talented smart people who are also very very kind.
One can learn anything from anyone though, and education or even intelligence, isn't really a requirement, although it's a nice bonus. Like, last night I listened to my dad's wife tell stories about her rural upbringing in Asia, in a place with no running water or refrigeration or education, and it was interesting to learn about her experience and her daily life there, and her political views, even though I don't fully agree with some of it. I enjoy hearing other perspectives. That's also a trait I'd love to see more of these days. If we all listened with curiosity to other people's stories, whether or not we agree or relate, I think we'd have world peace.
8:47 a.m. - 2020-12-18