Everyone is Just Some Guy

You know that piece of social/dating advice? When you're putting someone too high up on a pedestal you should remind yourself that they have to poop just like everyone else? Okay. surely there's a less gross way to think about this.

I have a small habit of being noticed for leaving notifications. I've made donations during charity events where people recognize my name, I get messages after subscribing to a Patreon, I've been tagged in tumblr posts for being a regular. That's probably not a unique thing, but it is funny to think about how often it happens since those notifications are usually just leaving likes. Just consistently supporting the people that bring me joy or insight by doing literally the smallest thing I can. And whenever I do get recognized the mixture of emotions I feel is always topped off with "I'm just some guy, I don't need to be recognized for that." Of course, once I'm outside of that rush of surprise. it's easier to remember... we're all just some person.

(Hey real quick, if someone knows a better one-syllable gender-neutral replacement for the way I use "guy" in this title, please lemme know, that sounds neat. "Pal" doesn't have the same connotation and it's the only one I can think of. 'kay thaaaanks.)

The examples I listed mainly involve around video essayists, live streamers, and similar artists. They put a lot of work and passion into their creations of course, I wouldn't dare belittle their work, but in the moment-to-moment, they're just existing like the rest of us. While there's far more to streaming than sitting at your desk with a camera going, that is the core piece of it. I think it's easy to "mythologize" anyone whose work I enjoy, feeling like who they are is tied to what they have made. But ironically, being actively aware that they are experiencing daily highs and lows improves my relationship with enjoying these creations while still helping take down all those mental pedestals.

And the benefits of humanizing the names you see online are not one-way. I got the presence I have on TikTok and Instagram because a lot of the asexual and aromantic creators I was following had made a Discord server to connect with each other and they had begun referencing their interactions more and more. Seeing that camaraderie made me want to to be included, so I started making my own posts and eventually ended up becoming a part of that community. And in the process, people were inspired by me as well. Inspired by me? I was just some guy. But all of us were. We just each made the choice to explore an interest and saw where it took us.

This isn't about being a "hashtag influencer." Everything around us is done through people just being people and following their ideas. I make these blog posts by typing into a text editor. I used to post them by going to neocities' site and manually uploading the updated folder. (sorry Carmine, I use the CLI now, promise) If you ever are fighting the anxiety about starting something, not only are you probably just as qualified as all your inspirations were when they started, they probably dealt with the same feelings as well.

So that's why you (and I, oh my gods I need to do it more) should leave your comments and likes whenever someone you follow does something neat. It's not about getting your name recognized or chasing clout (fuck chasing clout). It's reminding yourself that we're all just people doing our things, and it feels good to hear that other people recognize that.