Where the Hell is Matt?

Keeping in the spirit of positive thinking and Winer's foray into the world of digital blogging, I decided to share something with the Gentle Readers that makes me happy when I'm feeling a little sad. A little video that picks me up when I'm feeling down. A simple short that turns my frown up-side down. I have one more, but I'm not going to say it.

Introducing: Where the Hell is Matt?

(I've embedded the video below. However, I strongly suggest cueing up the HD Version and letting it load. I'll write a little more for you while you wait. Or you could click around, go crazy, read other posts. Or, of course, do what you want. I can't stop you. Yet.)

Many of you have already met Matt. But, for the Gentle Readers who haven't I'll provide a short introduction:

Matt was a video game programmer who, concerned that he was missing out on the many things life had to offer, quit his job and started traveling the world until he ran out of the money he'd saved. On his journey, he posted videos on the internet to show his family and friends the places he traveled, what he was doing there, and that he was still alive. Some of his videos featured him doing his own dance, which other people ended up finding and laughing about. These other people also included Stride Gum, who decided to fund for him another trip around the world so long as he kept posting these videos of himself. Two years later, what started as a personal journey snowballed into the product you see above: a heartwarming ode to the unity of the human race. (For more information, click the link above)

The great thing about this video is its simplistic core concept - a celebration of the differences and similarities between all people. We, as human beings, get extremely caught up in what makes us different and what sets us apart - particularly to the exclusion of others. Be it elitism ("I'm better than you"), religion ("My God's better than your God"), gender (self-explanatory), race ("You people"), social groups ("Dork!"), romance ("You don't love them like I do"), sports ("Boo!"),  or even restaurant patronage ("Dominoes? Really?"), many are obsessed with finding support from people who might think and feel like we do at the expense of people who don't. In our rabid searchings for belonging, acceptance, and confirmation of our beliefs , we often forget to acknowledge that human beings really aren't that different from one another, that the "other" really isn't so, that we often have more in common than less.

I admit I'm an individualist at heart and that the unique differences from one person to the next is what makes them interesting. But, I also acknowledge that the world could be a far better place for all of us if we could settle down about the variances and start looking at what's the same. I know it sounds a little corny, but I guess this video's just a little slice of that for me.

PS - at 0:04, check out the goat!