To The Care and Keeping Of “Trivial Things”
Chole Miller is an internet personality who simply talks about what she likes. Her witty and genuine responses to various forms of media and fandom have resonated with over 80,000 TikTok users and counting. With her platform she encourages people to be enthusiastic about the things they hold near their hearts. In terms those who already love her may understand, she’s very good at “looking after those little sheep” who just need to be shown it’s ok to be passionate.
“Why are you so worked up over it?”
“Why do you care so much?”
“You know, it’s not that big of a deal, right?
The first time you heard one of those phrases, it probably had to do with something that you enjoyed, right? A book, a movie, or a band you really loved. These so-called “trivial things” may seem insignificant to others, but they hold a special place in our hearts. When someone dismisses them, it can feel like a punch to the gut, and we immediately shrink into ourselves.
“Maybe I should stay quiet...”
“Not everyone wants to hear about that...”
“I’m just being annoying...”
As children, our job is to explore the world around us. We are a smooth surface with different facets to our personalities, likes, and dislikes just underneath that we eventually start to chip away. It starts simple enough. What’s your favorite color? Why? Did you like Bratz more than Barbies? Why? Which Ninja Turtle do you like more? Why? These seemingly “trivial things” we gravitate towards are essentially stepping stones to how we develop certain parts of our personalities and, more importantly, how we begin to learn things about ourselves. We are encouraged to talk about these “trivial things” to express ourselves and our joy as we connect with our peers.
And yet, there is an interesting phenomenon that happens in life where your passion and joy for “trivial things” shifts. Soon, if you’re too passionate, it is seen as an “annoyance” at best and a “red flag” at worst. So, eventually, the older we get, the more we tamp the passion down. After all, they are just “trivial things.”
Up until two years ago, I tamped down my passions. Sure, the passion would bubble up when an unknowing relative would ask me what I thought about the new movie they vaguely knew I was interested in, but nothing to really satiate my hunger, to unleash all my thoughts and feelings. Eventually, I got so fed up with not being able to talk about the “trivial things” that I wanted to that I decided to go where all good things exist and everyone respects everyone’s opinion: the Internet. I figured it would just be an archive of all my random thoughts and feelings that no one would even see or care about because why would they?
As it turns out, people care. Throughout my two years of talking about “trivial things,” the most consistent message I get is, “You make me feel less weird about the things I like.” Now, this could just be an insult, sure. But I’ve chosen to see it as someone reaching out who, at one point or another, got asked, “Why do you care so much?” There is a dual sense of intense happiness and sadness when I get those messages. I am happy I can be someone who is seen as a safe space for people’s passion to show, but in the same breath, why does anyone need a safe space to express what they love? Why do people have to tamp down their passion for these “trivial things”?
Here’s the thing about these “trivial things”: they aren’t trivial at all. These seemingly “trivial things” are art, literature, and music, arguably the purest things human beings have ever created. At their core, these “trivial things” are humans making things for other humans to enjoy. These things that are “not a big deal” help us connect to each other in a very pure human way. These things to “not get so worked up over” are tied to our memories. They can create friendships and help with grief. There is something so amazing about that to me, and it should be celebrated at every opportunity. And that is the one thing I hope people take away from this. Don’t let that passion be tamped out. Get excited about things! These “trivial things” that you “shouldn’t get worked up over” are worth getting worked up over, and guess what? Other people are worked up over it, too. Trust me. You might not have found your people yet, but believe me, they are out there. You’re not alone in that passion that you’ve felt since you were a kid. It’s the most human thing in the world to get excited and geek out over “trivial things.” Every day, I keep finding more and more people who solidify my suspicion that pure human passion will never be truly extinguished.
