The deep, emotional connection that is Google.

Things. They happen. Things happen. Good things, bad things, just plain crappy things, things that annoy us, things that make us cry, or laugh, or shudder.


(I pause to contemplate the weirdness of the word things. Do it. Then come back to me...please.)


Unfortunately usually the things we harp on, the things we talk about to our friends and family, the things we really like to get off our chests (or, conversely, the things we never want anyone to hear about and always keep to ourselves) -- Those things we fear are happening to us and us alone.


I'm going to let you in on a little secret: you are not alone. In a world of 7.002 billion people it is extremely important to realize that you aren't the only one going through this.


I've been doing some simple Google-searching to validate this statement, and it occurs to me that the site itself serves as a tool for understanding our not-alone-ness. One could almost stop at the Google search bar to examine this truth.  Looking for "Why I have hair on my knuckles" Google tells me that not only has someone had the exact same search, but apparently people have hair in plenty of places besides knuckles, and they're wondering about them too!

"Knuckles." Right. 

It seems to me that when it comes to sadness or unfortunate situations, occupants of the web-o-sphere turn to irony, sarcasm, and humor. Yet, while I read (and giggle), I realize that the mere fact that there are hundreds of sites discussing a range of awkward, unfortunate, or even normal things that happen to us suggests camaraderie.

I stumbled upon an interesting site that rates the "badness" of things that happen to us. I cannot speak for its origins or credibility. It is a crude chart that measures (in dolors) the pain of situations from the every day to the extreme. Personally, I would add a few to the chart that have not been included, and delete a few (stepping on a sticker does not rate for me at all. In fact, I like stickers. I like them a lot.) My ratings would also be different. The point, however, is not how these things are measured, but that they are even on the list.


Books, magazines, and newspapers would be the most likely place to seek a better understanding of you, your concerns, worries, and fears, and the fact that there are others like you. But really all you have to do is flip to ABC's Modern Family, for example, and yet again, we find sameness! After all, that's why comedies are funny -- we can relate.


You are not alone, because we are all human.


Death, heartbreak, romance, losing your job, weight-gain, weight-loss, getting a zit on a first date, losing your house, pregnancy, disease, pure exhaustion, not getting into grad school, surgery, moving away from home.... these things are a part of life. They are things that you may have experienced once, twice, never before, or all at once. But with 7.002 billion people on this earth, you are not the only one. There are others who know precisely what you're going through. Whether you look for them or not, take comfort that they're out there.