Wandering Into Humanity
- Lauren Barnett
- Mar 24, 2025
- 2 min read
My parents worked way too much when I was growing up, but we would still find time to get in the car for the whimsy of a used record shop, flea market, thrift store, and yard sale. The first thing I remember buying for myself, with my own money, was SEAL (1994) on CD at Repo Records. I was 11 years old, and I couldn’t fathom how someone could part with their Seal CD, but I was grateful they had. My favorite song, “Kiss from a Rose” never sounded so good through the stereo in my room, and I was no longer relegated to glimpses of it on the radio. It was mine to hear, on demand, and I played the hell out of it.
I found myself in adulthood working for charitable organizations with thrift stores as a main source of revenue. All over again, I was mesmerized by the way people’s used stuff could fuel missions of social change, and connect people to their identities on new levels and in unforeseen ways. I credit the space to wander aisles full of treasures in my formative years with building the skills that would make me good at marketing these institutions. I grew up loving them and wanted everyone to know how great second-hand stores are as well as the organizations they support.
Fast forward to now, and I’m in a local Buy Nothing group on Facebook, fueled by a movement (full of people who likely have significant spare time) to reduce waste. These habits and a sense of belief have grown up in me over time and continue to evolve. While the access I had growing up was far from perfect, the cultural space for even slivers of hobbying may be evaporating completely for future generations. Spare time shapes our humanity.
All the causes–housing affordability, education, climate, global instability–that we’re working on as change professionals matter tremendously, but the undercurrent of this high-pressure reality is that we’ll all get shittier at our jobs if we give in to being pushed off the margin–even off the page, and completely out of touch with the things that makes this planet worth our fight. The wear and tear is already showing. Gen-Z is more dissatisfied with their jobs, exhibiting less spiritual belief, and their anxiety and loneliness levels are spiking. Working smarter and pumping more “purpose” into 50-60-70-80 hour work weeks won’t stem this tide. We have to collaborate across race, gender, religion, and other divides to reclaim ourselves from even the machinery of meaningful labor. The capitalist machine wins when we’re too overworked–even when that work is resistance–to wander and dream.
As we fight to keep the social gains we have from obliteration, I am challenging us to take it a step further: we must wander with the same spirit of defiance we fight with. We must preserve wandering space for future generations.
If this sort of thing resonates with you, you should pick up a couple of my favorite books: Rest as Resistance by Tricia Hersey and Pleasure Activism by adrienne marie brown.
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I just read this post Wandering Into Humanity and it’s a thoughtful piece because it really captures how our journeys—whether physical, emotional, or intellectual—can shape not just what we know but who we become, especially when we allow ourselves to step outside of our comfort zones, listen deeply, and connect with people whose experiences differ from our own, and I like how the author emphasizes that empathy and curiosity are essential parts of understanding the shared human experience, making the narrative feel both personal and universally relatable rather than abstract or distant; it also highlights how experiences that challenge us or expose us to new perspectives can lead to growth, compassion, and a deeper appreciation for common humanity, which feels especially…
This resonated so deeply — the image of you carefully choosing that Seal CD at 11 years old with your own money captures exactly the kind of unstructured, wandering childhood that quietly builds who we become. You're so right that even purpose-driven work carries the same burnout trap as any other grind. I've noticed this especially among students today, who are so buried under deadlines and structured demands that there's genuinely no room left to wander or dream. Even when seeking Help with Law Assignment tasks or juggling coursework, the pressure to be constantly productive leaves little space for the kind of accidental discovery that actually shapes critical thinking. The Buy Nothing movement you mentioned feels like a small, beautiful…
This post genuinely moved me — the image of an 11-year-old carefully choosing a Seal CD with her own money, and then building a whole career around that early love for second-hand treasures, is such a beautiful example of how unstructured time shapes who we become. It made me think about how today's younger generations barely get space to wander, even mentally. Students are constantly under pressure, and questions like why was homework invented pop up not because kids are lazy, but because they're genuinely exhausted and searching for meaning behind the grind. New Assignment Help UK often sees this tension firsthand — students overwhelmed by structure with little room left to dream. Your call to protect wandering space isn't…
The story about wandering into unexpected human kindness was really touching to read. It reminded me how travel or simple moments with strangers can change how we see the world. I remember during a hectic semester while reading similar reflective pieces, I once used best assignment writing service uk because my schedule felt impossible to manage. Experiences like the ones shared here show how meaningful small human connections can be.