Starting from childhood, we learn about the importance of the number two. We are born from two parents, we grab with two hands, we’re taught that Noah took two of each animal on his arc, 1+1= 2, we read about Thing 1 and Thing 2, and “first’s the worst, second’s the best” is the rule on the playground.
Perhaps as a consequence of this childhood conditioning, I’ve always thought that there is a dualism to things that seem uniform–a bird needs two wings to fly, a singular heart needs two halves to beat. Really, two is necessary for the survival of one.
And yet, in our adulthood, we fight the number two. We only think about ourselves. We forget to be there for people, and we forget to let people be there for us. We isolate ourselves.
Lord knows, I’m guilty of it. Here’s the reasons why this week:
1) I’m a complete control freak in my Literature class. We’re forced to do a group project and I’m loathing every minute of it. I hate team work. I just want to do everything myself because then it’s in my control.
2) Yesterday, I was so caught up in the hustle and bustle of my own life I forgot to stop and ask my friend how she was doing. I found out she really needed to talk.
3) Last Friday night, I stayed home instead of going to a party because I didn’t want to have to rely on other people for laughter or conversation.
But an exchange with a good friend reminded me today–we’re not meant to be solitary creatures. We need other people, and they need us. Otherwise, the human race would’ve gone extinct long, long ago. So despite your fear, or your pride or your Type A personality, try to believe in the super power of two and all that it can remedy.
