To me, the idea of small talk is absolute rubbish; it degrades the concept of communication and it’s an aimless way of stalling our relationships. We get the privilege of such a brilliant conveyance, yet hardly use it to talk about the things that actually matter. With our substantial reliance on the entertainment industry nowadays, you would think that at least a majority of people would understand the importance of communication and storytelling. However the amount of times I’ve encountered people who brush it off or call it a “hobby” is off putting. I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes. It’s by Enid Bagnold and it says, “Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything. It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.”

Stories are the center of our universe, it’s where we’re going, where we’ve been and everywhere in between. Journalism is one of the most important things in this life, right there with medicine, law and engineering. Through journalists, writers and storytellers, we discover more about our universe and we’re able to share it with all the rest. I don’t think we realize how interesting the people around us really are. When I get to interview someone for something I’m writing, I learn about their talents, passions and thoughts, and if you’re lucky, they'll share the things they love most with you and it’s probably the most human thing in all of existence.

We complain about the condition of our world, the complexity and a seemingly never ending amount of stress but from a wider perspective, this life, this universe...it’s really all we have. I think it is so important to get to know the people you share it with. Putting aside all the things a majority of us give most of our attention to on the daily, things like popularity, status, test grades, social media, etc - all the things that don’t matter in a wide scope of things. We just have each other and our conversations and that should be enough, but for some reason, it isn't.

I strongly encourage every single one of you to talk.. as simple as it sounds, it’s the secret to the universe. Nowadays it’s as if you can’t talk to a “stranger” without a “legitimate” reason. You actually don’t need a reason at all to start a conversation. It’s the strangest thing - we’re all of the same species, yet there is some monumental separation. There should be unity in diversity. Even though there is an obvious difference in race, religion, skin color, etc - we share a common theme of core values such as compassion and kindness. Because of this separation, we divulge in empty conversations.

I don’t know if anyone is aware of this but outside of our little houses there is a world.. a beautiful, epic world. We’ve created it to be so unexplainably big, but within it I hope we do not forget that this life isn’t about work, errands, or school. It’s about us and each other. Let the people in it change your perspective on things, let its experiences make you softer, and the teachers make you smarter, let it. Under the cement of all the earthly things, is magic and if you don’t believe in it - look up because it’s right in front of you.