I walked into an elevator today, and three other people walked in with me. We all pressed different buttons on the lift command panel and stood there, in silence, as we moved up. I observed these people intently; there were two women and a man, all of us dressed differently, with different expressions on our faces and different classrooms to reach. That’s when it struck me how deeply invested we become in our own lives, often forgetting to consider how diverse the realm of human experience really is.Â
For instance, the woman to my right had her eyes glued to her phone screen the whole elevator ride. She seemed so intently focused on whatever she was typing that I was worried she may even forget to step out on her floor. Maybe she was finishing the last few sentences of a crucial assignment due the very same day- or, maybe, she was arguing with a friend and pushing to prove her point. Whatever was happening on that screen, I know that there was probably an entire story unfolding in her life that I would never hold witness to.Â
Once she exited the elevator on the first floor, the man standing in front of me started to fidget. He was carrying a huge briefcase, and his other arm was balancing four notebooks. The expression on his face seemed tense, as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders… and maybe it was? We all encounter moments where our responsibilities and worries begin to mount, and this may have been one such moment. Beneath our individual differences, I realised that we can all understand what it feels to be overwhelmed or stressed. These are some experiences that connect us human beings across a multitude of cultures and environments. A certain amount of comfort can therefore be derived from knowing that we are never really alone in what we feel.
Yet, stress was only one of the emotions that occupied this small space; just as an individual could carry an invisible burden, another could be harboring a reason to feel joy. The girl to my left had been grinning all the way from the ground floor to the third. She was trying to hide it, I could tell, but whatever she was thinking about held complete control over her smile. Even though we never conversed, her energy was infectious. I couldn’t help but feel happy for this complete stranger who seemed to be having an amazing day.
All of us in the elevator that day were protagonists of our own story but side characters in each other’s. Regardless, even the most fleeting moments with these side characters, in a shared space, can end up making a mark on our lives.Â
Human experience is far more diverse and layered than we care to acknowledge, with every single person living their own unique reality. An observed facial expression could conceal an unfathomable range of emotions, while a text message could hold the potential to make or break someone’s day. There is so much we don’t know about the people we co-inhabit this earth with- which is ironic, considering that we must lean on each other to thrive.Â
Somewhere along the way, between colleges and careers, between friendships and relationships, we’ve forgotten what it’s like to practice empathy toward the people we encounter in passing. Maybe we should all make a habit of just looking up, and looking beyond our own lives, once in a while. Not every stranger’s story will be known, nor will we get to walk a mile in their shoes. But just acknowledging the fact that we all create our own little worlds is enough to remind us that ours isn’t the only one that matters.Â
So, the next time you’re in an elevator with others, just observe them. You may just find, within them, a reason to smile and continue writing your own story.