In today's complex world, the simple act of being human has become an overwhelming challenge. According to Montreal author Alice Switocz Goldbloom, the current era carries a particular weight that makes daily existence feel more exhausting than ever before.
The Impossible Balancing Act of Modern Life
Goldbloom articulates the contradictory demands of contemporary society with striking clarity. We're expected to care deeply about global crises—climate change, democratic fragility, wars spanning multiple continents, economic uncertainty, and AI's transformative impact—while simultaneously maintaining personal composure. The author notes we must show concern for friends battling illness, navigate strained family relationships, and support children through life decisions, all without becoming emotionally draining to those around us.
The digital landscape adds another layer of complexity. We're told to stay informed but avoid late-night news consumption that disrupts sleep. We should develop strong opinions yet know when to keep them private. Social media presence is necessary for connection, but excessive use risks mental poisoning. The delicate balance requires posting enough to prove existence without crossing into oversharing territory, and caring about audience engagement without becoming obsessed with metrics.
The Canadian-American Anxiety Dynamic
Goldbloom, writing from her Montreal perspective, describes the unique position Canadians occupy in today's global landscape. Canadians experience simultaneous smugness and terror while watching American political developments unfold. The comparison she draws is stark: observing the United States resembles watching a slow-motion train wreck—horrifying yet impossible to ignore, with the chilling awareness that Canada travels the same tracks just further behind.
The author acknowledges Canada's advantages—universal health care, maternity leave policies, and cultural politeness—but questions their effectiveness when democracy feels fragile and the world appears to be burning. Politeness provides little comfort in facing fundamental threats to democratic institutions and global stability.
For those with close American connections, the burden becomes particularly strange. Goldbloom describes watching events unfold from the outside while feeling their impact internally. She confesses to primarily conversing within her bubble of shared values and political convictions, while constantly wondering about those with opposing viewpoints. Her reflections question how political polarization reached its current state and how lifting others could be perceived as personal diminishment.
Finding Humanity in Small Connections
Confronted with these overwhelming challenges, Goldbloom admits her own coping mechanisms—compulsive phone checking at red lights, during bank queues, even mid-conversation. She recognizes this behavior as an escape reflex from the weight of contemporary humanity, though digital devices ultimately fail to lighten the load.
The solution she proposes lies in deliberately small, human actions: holding doors open, making genuine eye contact, calling friends with sick parents, allowing traffic merging, offering meaningful thanks, hugging children, reconciling with siblings. These basic connections represent the most fundamentally human responses available to us.
Goldbloom references spiritual teacher Ram Dass's observation that we're all just walking each other home, suggesting this perspective offers sufficient comfort on some days. These embarrassingly simple gestures become radical acts of resistance against the overwhelming pressure of modern existence.
Alice Switocz Goldbloom, a Montreal-based nonfiction writer, will publish her debut book Family Secrets: A Daughter's Search for Her Parents' Hidden War this spring through Pottersfield Press. Her personal history—including her parents' experience in Nazi-occupied Poland—informs her understanding of historical hardship while acknowledging the unique challenges of our current moment.
