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Ash Morgan's avatar

Reminds me of a line in Dar Williams song, As Cool as I Am:

And then I go outside to join the others; I am the others

Oh, and that's not easy

I don't know what you saw; I want somebody who sees me

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Terry underwood's avatar

I don’t know the song, but I see the connection. Seems almost in opposition. In the Admit it poem, the problem is the cost of showing up authentically, the door open to being shunned as “abnormal.” The cost of buying into club passwords is self-sacrifice. In the song, passing as normal is easy. The risk is you may miss someone who is capable of seeing your naked self. Very cool connection!!

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Ralph Bedwell's avatar

I only disagree with the "nobody comes into your life by mere coincidence" part. That's the joy and the synergy of it--it IS by coincidence, but it's the coming together of the random and unexpected that makes for the possibility of the novel and enlivening.

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KW NORTON's avatar

There is that for certain. I like the flip side - that there are no coincidences. Means every moment of our lives is significant and worthy of attention. No accidents, no accidental people, no accidental random events.

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Your name's avatar

Well said

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Terry underwood's avatar

Automatic existence. Club Passwords. The yearning to belong, to be like other people, is strong eh? I wonder how many readers of this poem are ready to admit it? How many resent being reminded? How many think it’s crazy to look at life this way? Anyway, this one reminds me of Auden. https://poets.org/poem/unknown-citizen

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Meaghan Linauskas's avatar

This reminds me of David Sedaris’s outlook on small talk. He often writes about the decidedly un- clubhouse questions he asks strangers. I couldn’t find the passage that it brought to mind but this article speaks to what can be revealed when you open yourself to others.

https://www.cntraveller.com/article/david-sedaris-author-on-travel

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Meaghan Linauskas's avatar

This reminds me of David Sedaris’s outlook on small talk. He often writes about the decidedly un- clubhouse questions he asks strangers. I couldn’t find the passage that it brought to mind but this article speaks to what can be revealed when you open yourself to strangers.

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Amani Musonera's avatar

The urge to speak your mind gets heavier every day, and so does the fear of sounding different… or “weird.”

For some reason I feel like the majority of the people once had that thought for some time and at last, they let go and became ‘others.’

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KW NORTON's avatar

Agree 100%.

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Lisa Cherrington's avatar

Love, love, love

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