33. Joy Oladokun, Look Up

One benefit of trying to shed a lifelong habit of avoiding eye contact is you start to actually see people. People are amazing—little individual galaxies floating around, and you can read their inner constellations plainly in their faces. Some haul around pain, looking like a bag of wrenches, grimly not returning smiles. Learning not to take this personally, to have empathy for the pain-bearer, is one of life’s big wins. Likewise, generous, open expressions of goodwill can be found everywhere, in tiny interactions with strangers throughout one’s day. All these people, ready and willing to be kind. Look up.

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Joy Oladokun, “Look Up,” 2021. Written by Joy Oladokun & Dave Bassett.

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This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day through May 31, 2025. Inspired by my MFAH 100 project.

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