“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” ~ William Shakespeare
I had a minor epiphany a few weeks ago.
A friend invited me to a “solstice sound bath” at the pool, so I dug out what I hoped passed for appropriate attire and went along. We climbed onto paddleboards — a first for me — were handed towels to place over our eyes, and instructed to float for an hour while meditative music drifted through the natatorium.
After I got past my initial thought — this must be what death feels like, floating away with no control (trust a writer to land on the bleakest possible metaphor) — I relaxed. There was nothing to do, nowhere to go, nothing to see. Just drifting.
I’d spent most of that day immersed in work: checking the news, scrolling social media, reacting to nonstop content delivered via screen. By the time I arrived, I was moderately annoyed by all of it. As I floated there, a thought appeared — not one I consciously summoned.
“None of that matters.”
Then: “None of that is real. This is real.”
Nearly two weeks later, that awareness of presence is still with me, tapping gently at my spirit when the noise of the world starts to grind.
“That’s not real. Find real.”
Remember the early days of reality television. How long did it take you to realize it wasn’t real at all — just scripted, staged, and engineered for maximum drama? It took me longer than I care to admit. I was several seasons into watching Bear Grylls defy death in the wilderness before it dawned on me that he wasn’t exactly alone out there. The illusion cracked further when behind-the-scenes footage revealed that even judges’ comments on competition shows were carefully crafted in advance.
I can’t say whether Shakespeare’s line about all the world being a stage is more true now than in any other era — I’ve only lived in this one — but it certainly feels amplified. We can filter our faces to look younger, older, or like cartoon animals. Online commenters are often not who they appear to be, if they’re real people at all. Everything is curated for clicks, views, engagement, and advertising.
None of that is real.
Real is a hot cup of tea on a cold day and a newspaper in hand, or a book.
Real is petting a dog, hugging a child, or talking with a friend face to face.
Real is floating quietly in a pool with a handful of other humans who are also searching for something grounded and true.
Real is what matters.
Welcome to 2026. Let’s make it the year of the real.