Who doesn’t want to be seen and heard? To be liked and thanked? Who among us refuses to accept gratitude?

Raise your hand if you find yourself belittling and scoffing the attention of those you respect and admire.

Now, everyone take your hand down…except Joaquin Phoenix.

Appreciation is universally accepted, encouraged and, if we care to admit it, most earnestly sought. We even look for it unaware – perhaps most desperately in the moments when it is a subconscious urge.

Tommy, the blind, deaf, and dumb hero of The Who’s great rock opera speaks for all of us when he sings, “See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.”

There is a little child in all of us that needs this. Needs it so bad that we will do anything to get it. We scream. We thrash around in the messy crib of our mind. We will literally wet ourselves in these moments of meltdown desire to be noticed.

In extreme cases, we lose all contact with reality, doing things that negate all the positive things we have done to earn respect.

If we can’t get it one way, we will sure as heck get it another.

And the more insecure we are, the less likely it is we will see the irony.

Irony takes distance.

So give yourself some distance today, in these very insecure times.

Step away from yourself, while you’re stepping away from others, and thank God that he made you, you!

His gaze is all that matters.


– Axel Liimatta