Lessons from Exile #99: Does Anyone Care?

Short answer? No*.

No, they do not care. Not really. Not about you. Not about your family. Not about your well-being. Not about your soul. Not about what you care about. Not about your dreams. Not about your plans. Not about your reasons. Not about your demons. Not about what you’ve been going through, whether it was right in front of their faces or behind closed doors where they couldn’t see.

What do they care about? Go back to the previous paragraph and replace every “you” and “your” with “them” and “their.” That’s what they care about.

How do you fit in? Supplementarily. You fit in as long as they view you as being beneficial to all those things they care about. Once you’ve outlived your perceived usefulness, you will be discarded like the trash you are. All that any person needs to shift the community perception of you is to build a case for why everyone should see you as “not useful” or outright “malignant.” Then it will be a competition between your and his perceived value and persuasive skills. You might be discarded before you even know you’re competing.

Note that I said “perceived” as opposed to “actual.”

Also note that there is an asterisk attached to that very first “No.” Read into it whatever you wish.

When I started posting the Lessons from Exile series, I actually asked myself whether anyone would care about lessons in musical direction and ministry coming from a guy who is currently doing neither. Would anyone see any value in my experience and insights when my former workplace didn’t? According to the Insights I get from Facebook, Instagram, and my website, the answer is a resounding no. Facebook doesn’t even bother showing it to anyone because it assumes it is irrelevant and no one wants to see it.

And yeah… It’s true. No one does want to see it.

And yet… Why should I base my actions or my life’s choices on whether anyone else cares? Why put that much power into the hands of other people who have no skin in the game and don’t care?

Whether anyone recognizes the relevance or value of my experience and knowledge doesn’t change the fact that I have it and that someone could potentially benefit from it. Whether anyone cares if I live or die, it doesn’t change the fact that I exist. Whether anyone remembers that I was ever at my former workplace doesn’t change that they are still using and benefitting from a worship program that I pulled out of my ass. Whether anyone believes whatever smear Shithead started against me doesn’t change that I’m telling the truth about what he has been doing.

It doesn’t matter if anyone cares. Do it anyway. Put it out there. Build it. Start it. Keep doing it. Keep moving forward.