We’re looking for a needle in a stack of needles

Once upon a time language was new and communicating thoughts was a strange yet wondrous challenge when not attending to the necessary functions that maintain life. Every day since, we humans have been putting content into the world. Oral histories were fragile things, requiring attention to detail and prone to elaborate retelling for sake of entertainment and honoring one’s ancestors.

It was hard for such stories to compete with the written word, but from what little I know of history, the tradesmen and theocracy that embraced the written language guarded that knowledge. I suspect they wanted to corner the market on who was able to create and understand the new media, wielding written words like an innovation such as steel or gunpowder. For a time, the selection of books offered to the world was rather small, and the audience was next to non-existent.

Times changed and education offered an opportunity to learn more than just how to read and write. People were able to think and express themselves more readily without spending as much scraping by surviving, as improvements to the quality of life spread across the world. Stories took root in new forms astride ever advancing innovation, bringing us to where we sit surrounded by content today. Books, music, movies, games, and so much more are not only available, but now ever-present.

It’s no longer necessary to wait for a merchant to come to your village with a new collection of interesting wonders from across the nation, or world. We’re connected now, our markets are digital, and the sheer amount of content available on any given subject or genre exceeds the limitations any one of us could possibly consume. More is added every day, and even if we had our entire lives for amusement, we’d still never process through it all. Our struggle now becomes finding what we desire amongst an army of doppelgangers and charlatans. We hunger for something specific, yet often find pale imitations.

Of course, it’s not all sorrow and lamentations. There are many new and interesting stories just waiting to be found, and within arm’s reach. Elaborate packaging, or the an enticing siren song might not be your best option, but if you can endure the adventure, you might just find what you were looking for right under your fingertips.