I love Casey Neistat’s vlogs.
I love them because they’re cinematic, tell a cool story with quick cuts, and showcase his creativity and grinding work ethic. But the very thing that makes them exciting — treating life as an adventure with fun stories to tell — can sometimes overshadow a truth I’ve come to cherish. I.e., that some of the most precious parts of life aren’t shareable as engaging anecdotes. They’re the vague impressions, half-thoughts, and untethered emotions that float around in my head as I laze in bed on a Sunday afternoon. They’re formless daydreams that can’t be edited into a compelling vlog. But I’ve lived entire lives in these daydreams, and I keep forgetting that this meant something in the before-times: When digital social tools didn’t have us convinced that if you haven’t captured it in a photo or video, then it didn’t happen and doesn’t count.
I’ll always love Casey’s films, and I’ll always stockpile entertaining stories. But next time we meet and tell each other that nothing much has been happening in our lives, let’s share a cheeky wink to acknowledge that this is soooo not true?