Column: The Modern Walter Mitty
Dreams of the modern Walter Mitty are not known only to himself. He scrolls through Instagram for ideas, and when it’s time, fabricates a protagonist to be not only shared, but validated by anyone who cares to give it a Like. It’s the life he wishes he lived. At some point, that’s the overwhelming majority of us, if only for an afternoon. We need to stop.
When our happiness is dictated by filling a tag, we lose. When we buy gear to make us look like who we wish we were, we lose. When we’re imagining poses, and likes, and new followers, and the chance to become an influencer, or get a sponsorship, or get invited on a podcast to tell the story of how we kept hammering, we lose.