Moments of Awe on Medium

And my gratitude for your stories

Sonder. A word defined by The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows as:

n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own — populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness — an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk. — Source

The number of times I’ve been in awe of someone’s story since joining Medium is astronomical. I’m not referring to the silly stories, the cute stories, the rants, or even the self-help stories.

The stories I’m referring to are simple but amazing tales of humanity. The ones by people simply living their lives. The ones about — essentially — nothing… and everything.

Stories of people and their lives and the things that have happened, and how they’re carrying on with more resolve and drive and passion despite mountains of troubles and traumas. Stories written by people who are fighting battles we’ll never know about in their own worlds every single day. Some of those stories do see daylight, and they’re coming here to do it.

Recently I wrote about how my sobriety can be linked directly to this writing experience. Writing put me in touch with people that changed the course of my life. I read stories written by regular people like me who were battling addiction and alcoholism like I was, and reading their stories gave me the confidence to read more and wonder. It gave me a glimpse into sober future. It gave me the strength to try again and face my fears and to share that experience with others, not to mention the pure catharsis of writing it.

As I sit here in this moment thinking of all the people I’ve met here, I’m overcome with awe and gratitude that I’ve had the pleasure of reading their stories. Of interacting with them, meeting them, and even becoming friends with some of them. I wish I could name them all, but that would be tacky.

That being said, one sticks out to me today. Call it serendipity.

This. This is why we’re here. To read stories like this. A veritable memoir of nobody special doing EVERYTHING special. A relatively new writer to Medium, Rachael Shaw obviously knows her way around a word or two, not to mention a hospital, the theatre, and her own mind.

After reading Rachael’s story, just like the thousands of other brilliant stories written by real people, I felt extremely grateful for all I get to experience every day.

I feel sheer love and awe for this plain, average, ordinary life I get to live, and the astonishing beauty that I get to behold.

If that’s not pure awe, I don’t know what is.

Take a few minutes and watch the short video about Sonder. You may never be the same.

I am in awe of the rich stories people have to tell.

If that isn’t awe I don’t know what is.

I can’t begin to describe how amazing it feels to be a part of this little world.