I'm Ready not to Care

I want to take a different spin on the saying “I just don’t care anymore.” Most people would assume it leans negative, a sign of “giving up.” On the contrary, I think, in this case, I don’t’ want to give into the new world we are all living in. Why? Fair question. Good question.

You all know how I believe in people and having fun and talking and laughing. Those are simple building blocks of life. So I’m ready to “not care” when I engage directly in a conversation with a stranger. A neighbor. I’ve been doing it lately more often. You have airpods in and have ribeye on a platter in the elevator in my Chicago building? I’m going to talk about how good it smells and he’s going to tell me how he seasoned it and I’m going to tell him that sounds complicated.

I’ve made two new friends on planes lately – both guys (given, you know, I’m married). I got one’s number and we went to a workout class together that I think got my sick for a week. The other friend lives in Greenwich with two kids and in many ways I envy that situation, but I’m not naïve and know how we would be viewed if we lived in a nice house in Greenwich. He was a good guy from San Antonio, who just happened to be in finance for 20+ years.

I don’t look at my phone at the subway and just stare at people or things because again, I don’t care. Sometimes there’s a smile – there’s always a smile when I have Miles with me because he’s a smiley baby and people love a smiley baby.

I don’t care if I don’t have my phone at dinner and I don’t care if Krinsky “really doesn’t like it” if I just tell him “no phone – I’ll meet you at 23rd and 3rd at 6:45.” We met there around that time and had a great dinner and then some delicious purple Korean soft serve ice cream.

I don’t care that the world is turning AI and tech-forward because I don’t need to use it until someone says it’s a must. I write my company newsletter every month and searching for inspirational quotes and deciding which bullet goes first (hiring an IT director or providing details about our company boat ride) is a decision I want to make. Not Chat GP Fucking T.

I engaged with these AI start-up people today at my co-working space. I initiated, they joined in and we talked for about 30 minutes. Great convo. Interesting perspective and I agreed with most. I’m not like a big anti AI guy. I just don’t want to use it too much (yet).

I don’t care if I wear high socks and pink shorts around the neighborhood cause I’m a young parent with a demanding travel schedule, so if I get looks, I get looks.

I think I’ve always been this way, but I think you have to push extra hard to be yourself nowadays. Funny enough, in the newsletter I send to my company tomorrow, the inspirational monthly quote is “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde

I’m not sure people are super capable of being themselves any more. Really doing what they want. People care more about giving in than they don’t care about not giving in. That may not make sense, which is totally fine. I don’t really care ;).

I don’t know if this is a rant. It may be. It may be well thought-out or not. I’m ready to not care and live in the Catskills with my amazing family and have a garden and go to the local bakery for some breakfast, have a conversation with thy fellow neighbor, and enjoy the little things. However, in reality, the grind continues. But in order to not get consumed by the grind, you kind of have to not care. At least a little bit.