On Touching Grass
There’s a lot going on in the world right now. I think that’s simultaneously the most vague and the most true statement I can make these days. From a massive earthquake in Taiwan to the ongoing genocide in Palestine to the continued degradation of our very own democracy there really is a LOT going on. That’s just looking at the big picture. When it comes to our individual lives there’s also a LOT going on! If you’re anything like me, you have a million emails to answer, a sink full of dishes, a ton of shows to catch up on, laundry to do and instead of doing any of those things…you just kind of lay on the couch and look at your phone because it’s all SO MUCH! Well, I have one phrase that might help you out of that headspace:
Touch Grass.
If you’ve ever scrolled through Twitter, looked through Reddit, or seen TikToks and Tumblr posts recycled on Instagram, you’ve probably encountered this phrase, although it may have just blended in with all of the mentions of “girl dinner,” “Skibidi Toilet,” “rizz,” “and Glasgow’s Willy Wonka.” “Touch Grass,” is a phrase that came to prominence in 2019 although it’s exact origin is unknown. Throughout 2020 and 2021 “touch grass,” or “touch some grass,” became more and more popular as a derisive term used to tell those who were terminally online or who were toxic in the digital realm to get off the computer and go outside, where one might touch some real-life grass!
Now in 2024, this phrase isn’t as ubiquitous as it once was but I still think about it often because even though it was used mostly as an insult in its heyday, there’s a kernel of truth to it. There are often days where I’ll spend most of my time inside whether I’m working, trying to relax, or trying to relax even though I should be working therefore making sure that I am neither working nor relaxing. After enough time inside looking at screens, the world seems to shrink and get a whole lot worse.
And yet, as soon as I go outside and take a little walk, as soon as I get some sun on my face, see a dog or two, smell some fresh jasmine, and metaphorically touch a little grass, I feel like a whole new person. My entire outlook changes and suddenly that pile of dishes isn’t so bad, those emails aren’t so daunting, and that list of shows becomes exciting instead of overwhelming. It really is crazy how much of a difference it makes to just step away from our screens, the bad ones and the good ones, and remind yourself that there’s a whole world out there and some of the people, places, and things in it are pretty damn good!
So, the next time you’re feeling like your to-do list is a mile long, like you’re chained to your keyboard, like all you see is depressing news, get out there and touch some grass! I promise, all that other stuff will still be there when you get back, but you’ll feel a lot more capable of tackling it.
Are you familiar with the term “touch grass?” Do you have your own version of it?
I absolutely love this one. And believe in its message down to my bones. I try to do a daily meditation, often when walking our wonderful dog, or sometimes sitting in our backyard or in our living room looking out at our yard. And when I do I try to stop my brain from hamster spinning on the wheel of all the shit I’m obsessing over, by looking up at the clouds drifting by, the treetops swaying in the breeze, the flowers and flowering bushes I’m lucky enough to have in my neighborhood. And the more I do this, the more I feel, if only for a little while, gratitude for what is surrounding me right now, at this moment. It doesn’t magically solve all the problems, but yes, it does give me a boost and a reminder of exactly what you write about. And being open to what can happen when you get out of your brain allows for all kind of little miracles and gifts from the universe. Yesterday I was feeling achy and generally blah, but I summoned the energy to go to the market because I’d promised to make dinner for a change. As I was wandering through the produce section thinking about how I wish they sold individual Advil, I saw a woman with a sweet looking dog, a medium sized mutt that kind of looked like a mix of German Shepherd and…Pit?…Beagle? Anyway, I asked the woman if I could pet her dog and she said yes. I reached down and Layla jumped up to my chest and started licking my face like I was the owner she had been separated from for years. The woman laughed and said, you must like big dogs (I do!) and Layla just couldn’t stop loving me up. Made me feel like one of the world’s most special people. Brightened up my whole day. A reminder that, as you say, there’s lots of people places things and dogs in the world that are pretty damn good!
Yes, yes, yes - truth! But what the hell is “Skibidi toilet”?