On not belonging

This feels familiar: attending a reading by smart people with smart people and for smart people and not knowing any of these smart people.

I am, to be clear, noticing that my perspective is from a white, male, cis-gender perspective, and I’m noticing feelings of not belonging. Oh, the irony.

This must be something every human feels and understands—the singularity of his person noticeable outside a perceived constellation of other humans. Their connection? Some level of acquaintance. To join them may be easier than expected.

But I’ll wait.

Here is a threshold of thought I can cross, seeing that my perception is likely one shared by every human. We are alone in this world ultimately. And ultimately that is our gift from the universe because we have the chance to enter into constellations of humans.

Alone.

Together.