Resonance is a marvelously immersive word. It is used in many fields of endeavor from astronomy, chemistry, mechanics to physics. In the mechanical world, its meaning is defined as the condition in which an object or system is subjected to an oscillating force having a frequency close to its own natural frequency. But as of late, I’ve been curious about its meaning for us in the organic world. In that regard, the definition for resonance is the ability to evoke or suggest images, memories and emotions. Funny thing is that if you look at both these definitions, they have a common thread; that of one object or organism being able to affect another object or organism through a type of force. Isn’t it fun to play contextual detective? In our case, it isn’t so much that we get to uncover a plot as it is an opportunity to expand our consciousness.
Most of us use the word resonate to express a variety of circumstances: That opening passage of the book really resonated with me; the sound of the jet engine resonated through my whole body; the news of the factory closing resonated amongst everyone in the small village. We use it to describe something that creates either a physical or emotional response. In other words, a force is created that affects us through our body, mind or intellect. This is what I want to write about; how we human beings resonate with one another.
If you had an opportunity to read my piece on friendship well, first and foremost, thank you for reading a second posted commentary! I’ve either captured your imagination or you’re just waiting for the dryer to be done so you can have a clean pair of jeans to wear.
In that commentary on friendship, I wrote about how we affect one another in a variety of ways through the connections we establish. We resonate with another in ways that affect each of us differently, but we are nonetheless influenced by the connection we’ve established. It is a force of sorts; one that changes us both physically and emotionally. And that has consequences that are as quantitative as they are qualitative in nature. Our connections resonate with us in ways we can see and feel.
So at the risk of writing about the obvious, I wanted to celebrate resonance in this forum. Why? Well, because that’s the very nature (or mission for you hopelessly corporate-minded folk) of this blog; to share my observations of life in the hopes that they awaken in you a desire to take a closer look at the world from your vantage point. In other words, I’m hoping that these little scribbles will resonate with you in a way that might – just might – awaken a moment of introspection, joy, laughter or absolute befuddlement in your mind.
In the past year, I have experienced the width and breadth of every possible human emotion: Love, joy, pain, apprehension, anger, loss, defeat, fear, resignation, solitude, peace, acceptance, hope. Every single one was brought on through the auspices of friends, family, acquaintances, and complete strangers on the street. That’s because we all resonate with one another. Each of us creates a force that affects those in direct contact with us; even someone passing by unbeknownst to you. We create a force upon one another that alters everything from the road we take, to the decisions we make; right down to the choice of words we think and action we do. Resonance is one of the most universal effects we have on everything and everyone in this world. Even Voyager Two, which at this very moment is sailing through interstellar space billions of miles away, is resonating with the universe around it. And that resonates with us in ways that only our progeny far into the future will be able to tell. In that sense, we’ll resonate with others not yet born when we are dust and gone from the consciousness of humanity. Yes; that’s what it feels like to resonate with the world. To evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions through a biomechanical force that connects us through the natural frequency of life that we all share.
I truly hope that this little mental meandering will resonate with a degree of wonder that perhaps you’ve forgotten or missed altogether. Because it’s very important for you to know how much you matter, and how much who and what you are resonates with me and rest of the world.
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