Blog #10

Nobodiness is the state of feeling unimportant, unappreciated, or unwanted.

A foster child, for example, often experiences this feeling. Foster children, before they are put into that system of care, live in homes with parents that care nothing about them and often leave them neglected. For example one of my cousins, who is adopted, used to live with her mom as a small child. Her mom would often leave my cousin home alone, locked in her room for days with nothing to eat. Sometimes the mom would open the door and give her some candy, but she wasn't able to go outside and play; she wasn't hugged and dressed and read books to, like other little children. Her mom did not buy her dolls, or give her goodnight kisses, or play hide-and-seek; I'm sure living such a neglected life would make anyone feel like a "nobody".

Then there is the person who has no friends; not a companion in the world. She goes to school and sits down at her desk; no one says "hello" to her or acknowledges that she is even in the room. She goes to lunch and sits down in the cafeteria...and is still all alone. We've seen these people, but we just take note of the fact that they have no friends, and then move right along to our own lives and companions, without taking that extra effort to even smile at them. There is almost no stronger feeling of nobodiness than to be that person who feels totally and truly invisible and unappreciated by anyone.