I was recently listening to an interview about babies and technology. One of the questions posed was how much and why? Like anything in life, it’s not quite that simple. But taking care of a baby is neither simple nor easy, and technological fixes only go so far. Some things about child care don’t change, except a lot of diapers.
Babies require extraordinary amounts of holding and soothing and facetime, direct touch, interaction, energy, tons of patience and love from their parents and caregivers. Taking care of a baby is one of those experiences that you have to experience to appreciate. It’s a game changer for sure.
We use technology for many reasons and supposedly a principal reason is to make our lives easier. People are looking for optimization and hacks to reduce the friction in their lives. There’s gotta be an app for that. Yeah, I get it….whatever makes it easier. In my experience, life does not always work that way, no matter how hard we try, friction will show up.
It was an eye opener when it clicked that millennials and those generations that follow have lived in a world where reducing friction or learning how to make life easier is an insidious message. That we can live a frictionless life, and avoid situations or people that rub us the wrong way…we hide behind a screen, ghost each other, distract ourselves with games and disappear into our own little world. We can keep trying to avoid life and people and friction, but it still shows up.
The scientific definition of friction is when two objects rub together and it’s not completely smooth. Friction is that we can walk, hold a glass or stop the car among other things. Friction is necessary for us to live daily life as we know it. But too much can cause wear and tear, so we learn to manage friction in life just as in relationships.
There’s a song by Imagine Dragons called “Friction”. The refrain goes like this:
You can’t fight the friction, so (ease it off)
You can’t take the pressure, so (ease it off)
Don’t tell me to be strong (ease it off)
You can’t fight the friction, so ease it off
In life we sometimes have to face the friction and resolve it, learn to manage it, not just “ease it off”. That’s what life requires to grow and mature. Some troubles don’t go away, instead they just get bigger. Friction in relationships is unavoidable, and that’s okay. In families and in our relationships with our spouses and partners, (and of any kind) people must learn how to resolve their friction or differences. We grow as individuals and families when we look and find ways to mend and repair the breaks. This is the only way to enjoy a healthy relationship and a happy life.
You can’t fight the friction, so work it out. Not easy, but definitely worth it in the long run.
