Digital Hearts

Copyright © WD, 2021 All rights reserved.

Hearts are the most tormented body organs of all. For all the failed relationships, it is the heart that breaks and ends up aching. A pain no painkiller can cure. That is why humans created a virtual heart. The heart that when tapped upon changes into big bright red ones as if given life.

We can find these digital hearts on all “social” media platforms. When I was new to the online social platforms, I remember I was not visible. My tweets went into the black hole of the Twitter galaxy and were never accounted for or looked on. I remember talking to myself, and feeling bad, going back and forth on the app to see if someone was generous enough to lend me a heart. Until I made some friends who supported me, I started to learn how to do things. The art to lure people into knowing that you exist.

I have been a believer of talent, that if you have something in you someday or the other it will come out. And people will acknowledge it. I was partially wrong, and I accept it! For all those who think like me right now, I hereby share my wisdom.

No one really cares here, whether you do exist or not, whether you have an extraordinary talent for something or not, or you are raw diamond disguised as stone. This remains some old-school thing that someone will come, dig you up from the coal mine and then give you cuts to turn into a diamond. People will probably try to kick you off even if they know your worth for their own sake. (until you are very lucky to find a good person) No one wants another competitor in this world of 7 billion competitors. Where existence is a fight, I expected someone to recognize me until I understood that, "that “someone” was “me”!". I have to find myself on my own, not even my dearest can help me and I am marching forward in that process. The same goes for you too. You have to find yourself, change yourself for yourself, and love yourself for what you discover and what you become.  

For a brief moment in my life, I gave power to these digital hearts to tell me how I was doing. If the numbers of these hearts were not good I considered it a fault in me. I have always loved myself and what I do, but for the brief moment, I allowed these hearts to decide if I should love what I do or not. That was the moment I understood what has been the talk of the town, “the social network obsession”. It is frustrating. The feeling of jealousy, angst, and helplessness. It was not like I could go and ask people to like my stuff, I am not a big name nor a funny person. I am just me. I went into these dark woods of shadows and dark thoughts. But the good news is getting out of it is very easy, trust yourself and know your worth. Not everyone is made to understand you. And don’t commit a grave mistake, comparing yourself to someone who is not you. I did it, and it was more frustrating than exams. I used to see some people post “I want to eat ice cream” and get half a million hearts and quarter million comments saying “oh you are so cute”, and here I was writing sense and somehow getting an average of 15-20 hearts. 

I found a solution to it too. I started writing with hearts in them so that every time I opened it to see how many people saw it or something my hearts remind me that I am my lover, and that should be enough. Though I can not neglect the fact that having more readers and interaction on social media gives in some extra happiness, feeling of belonging. This is when I remember why I first made a public appearance with my writings.

It was never for these digital hearts, I always wanted to reach more people so that someone who was sad that day and wanted just what I wrote could use it, feel good and try to get the strength to fight over the odds they might be facing. I felt a strong desire to do this. I remember when someone for the first time read one of my blogs in another time zone, I was in heaven, the thoughts that even though I might have never visited that place but a part of me reached there and communicated with someone. That is how today I have reached different parts of the world. 

Writers who write and feel lonely that no one is reading them, or painters who paint colors and find themselves in blue and grey or anyone who is doing something but waiting for bigger recognition, trust me someone must have seen you, and even if one person’s life gets 0.1% better you are to be credited. 

So let us try leaving behind the race for more followers and those digital hearts, a real heart is what matters. Treasure yours and try helping the ones who might need you and acknowledge your efforts. For the rest, let them be, they are missing out on a diamond in making, and one day when you and I will shine too bright they won’t be allowed to even see us.