Everybody Knows…
A few years ago, I was driving, and I passed beside a large pickup truck with multiple Canadian flags hanging out the windows, F$&* Trudeau signs, and a variety of posters affixed to every free square inch of the vehicle. The posters were declaring the driver’s grievances with life and the world around him at the time. It looked ridiculous.
I felt the temptation to snap a photo and post something witty about my grieved road companion. I didn't because I could almost audibly hear Leonard Cohen singing a version of his song in my head.
"Everybody knows this guy is crazy; everybody knows he really is; everybody knows that you can't help it; everybody knows that this stuff is nuts; everybody knows you should watch the road; everybody knows not to carry the load; that's how it goes… Everybody knows..."
Well, not exactly; I'm never that poetic in the moment.
I chose to rest in the belief that wisdom is not an exclusive quality. I didn’t need to grab a microphone to state the obvious. No one would have benefited from me swinging at an outlandish pinata with my eyes wide open. Most people recognize situations as they are. For the most part, we're all just trying to get through the day and do our best without transforming our vehicles into outlandish moving billboards.
However, sometimes we need to talk things out. While everybody knows these things, most of us feel lonely and isolated. Pain, suffering, and trauma tend to grow deep roots in isolation. If there is something that’s causing us anxiety, it’s worth talking it out.
Wisdom is not an exclusive quality…nor is the quality of walking through life unscathed emotionally. Our souls are not Teflon coated in a world stuck in a torrential downpour of anxiety.
A trauma counselor once explained to me that the brain doesn't register trauma on a spectrum. When people get hurt, they will sometimes dismiss it internally because they don't perceive the pain to be as great as the pain others have suffered. While they may have mentally dismissed the injury, their body certainly did not. The hurt is real.
The billboard truck didn't leave me traumatized, but I was bothered by an individual driving a new $80,000 truck trying to convince the world that he was a helpless victim. That feeling was a symptom of simmering anger in my spirit towards people who have so much, yet dedicate their time and energy to blaming others. I hate faux-victimhood. It's a hallucinogenic drug passed around by conspiracy theorists, and it is not healthy. I've traveled a bit, and I’ve met real victims.
And no, the situation wouldn't get better by buying a brand new truck and posting my counter protest stickers all over the vehicle.
I should have talked it out because I know that anger is shared by many. Remaining angry isn't healthy and it does little to make the world a better place. I’ve learned that I have to manage that energy into something constructive. That can be done in relationships and community.
Today, in 2025, we are seeing frightening events transpiring politically worldwide. We are seeing all manner of crazy on our collective journey these days. It’s unrelenting. There are legitimate threats that should leave us bothered and angry. We're all feeling it. "That's how it goes....Everybody knows..."
Don’t let yourself feel isolated when we're all feeling the ever-present stress of this age. Book that coffee with a friend, go for a night out with people you haven't seen in a while, and prioritize surrounding yourself with a caring community. Talk about what's going on in the world and what's going on inside your heart. Remind yourself and others that ordinary people outlive extraordinary times. Connecting with people in real life will help transform angst into something more hopeful and constructive.
I feel like we could all use that right about now.
Anyway, guard your heart friend, and thank you for reading!