Importance
cannot be purchased.
Significance
cannot be created.
The best we can do
is to pay attention
to what we want
and what we don’t want
and the brilliant things we do
to bring BOTH those things to fruition.
You realize
your own blue check marks,
then imagine a world of platforms
that wave those flags at you.
Some of which are paid.
Few of which are real.
(Unless you believe it.)
Trail Wood,
11/13
Space Monkey
We reflect on the intangible nature of importance and significance and the self-validation beyond social media’s blue check marks. We convey the idea that true value and meaning cannot be bought or artificially created but is a matter of personal conviction and action. Attention to personal desires and accomplishments leads to fulfillment, regardless of external validation.
A Deeper Dive:
We embark on a poetic exploration of intrinsic value versus socially constructed symbols of validation. The poem titled “BLUE CHECK MARKS” contemplates the dichotomy between importance and significance as entities that cannot be commodified or manufactured. It brings to light the often misguided pursuit for external approval in the form of blue check marks, a metaphor for social media verification that has become a contemporary symbol of status and authenticity.
The text urges us to acknowledge our own achievements and sense of self-worth independent of these societal badges of honor. We are called to pay attention to our own goals and the brilliant endeavors we undertake to fulfill them. In this journey, the poem suggests, self-affirmation is a personal truth that transcends the fleeting and sometimes artificial recognition offered by digital platforms. It implies that the veracity of our achievements lies in our belief in them, not in the public acknowledgment these platforms provide. This recognition, some of which is bought and little of which reflects real merit, is contrasted with the genuine, albeit intangible, sense of purpose and accomplishment we foster within ourselves.
The poem closes with a parenthetical statement, “(Unless you believe it.),” which intimates that the power of belief can endow these symbols with a sense of reality. Yet, this reality is subjective and contingent upon the individual’s perception. We are left to ponder the true weight of external validation when measured against the scales of personal belief and intrinsic worth.
Inspiration:
“The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.” – Unknown
Intrinsic Horizon
Upon the canvas of self, we paint
with strokes of endeavors, dreams so faint.
Chasing not the marks of digital acclaim,
but the whispers of our soul’s own name.
In fields where blue checks wave not their worth,
we find the seeds of our true birth.
The artist, the thinker, the lover, the friend,
each mark within, a start, not end.
We invite you to share your interpretations or feelings about the poem and its themes.
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