Humanity and Dutch Blitz

He wears his jeans too low.

She sits by herself in the corner.

He talks too much and too loudly.

His sentences trail when he makes an awkward comment.

She isn’t someone you’d want to hang out with.

Yet when a few decks of cards are pulled out and some desks are shoved together for a game of Dutch Blitz, it’s amazing how quickly these differences evaporate. It doesn’t matter if she’s sitting across from her old crush; she’s just trying to get rid of that yellow 4. It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t know how to pronounce her name; he’s just trying to keep up with everyone else. It doesn’t even matter that they’re all supposed to be studying for exams; these moments come rare, and they come sweet.

Peeling back a layer of stereotypes and judgements reveals our humanity and our stupidity. We’re human to connect over a card game. We’re stupid to judge people based on our outside view of them. When everyone is focused on getting rid of that Blitz pile, the Earth seems to spin a little smoother and the rain seems to fall a little lighter and the smiles seem to get a little brighter.

It makes you realize that despite our differences, we’re all the same. We’re all trying to fit in and enjoy high school and pass our classes. We’re all stuck in the same English class, breathing in the same oxygen and laughing out the same carbon dioxide.

When you notice this, people tend to become more beautiful.