Guys, have you noticed that almost every conversation eventually finds its way back to relationships?
I’m convinced you could attend a conference on agricultural mechanisation, and somehow, by lunchtime, someone would be explaining why their ex was a narcissist. 😂 (this actually happened to me with a zambian lady i met at a conference in Nairobi)
And I’m not just talking about romantic relationships. Friendships, family, workmates, situationships, talking stages, people who stopped talking, people who should never have started talking. The entire human relationship department is permanently open for business.
Every TikTok Live I’ve joined seems to confirm this. You enter a Live expecting to hear something random, and within five minutes, someone is explaining how Lwanga wasted four years of their life.
And Lwanga, wherever you are, I hope you’re doing some serious reflection. 😂
But it got me thinking.
During COVID, I spent a considerable amount of time locked up at my parents’ house. Before that, I had always considered myself something of a loner. You know, one of those people who proudly announces, “I enjoy my own company.”
Well, COVID tested that theory thoroughly.
Because after spending enough time with myself, I discovered that, much as I enjoyed my own company, I was not nearly as entertaining as I had previously believed. 😂
I genuinely started missing people.
Not necessarily because I wanted anything from them. I just wanted to meet people, hear their stories, understand how they viewed life, what excited them, what frightened them, what they believed, and why they believed it.
There’s something incredibly stimulating about discovering another human being’s world.
And equally, there’s something deeply satisfying about someone taking a genuine interest in yours.
Think about it. Someone voluntarily sits down, listens to you explain your life, asks follow up questions, remembers little details about you, and actually wants to know more.
In this economy,where the dollar is 4,500 ugx ? Someone is giving you their undivided attention for free? 😂
That’s an underrated luxury.
I think that period changed how I viewed people.
These days, I can walk into a shop, have a brief interaction with someone, and suddenly become curious about their entire existence.
Someone is unusually kind to me, and I’m thinking, “You seem like an interesting human being. We should probably be friends.”
Someone is rude to me, and I’m equally curious. “My brother, what happened? Is this your personality, or have I arrived during a difficult chapter of your autobiography?” 😂
And of course, sometimes it’s a beautiful lady behind the counter, and my curiosity becomes remarkably enthusiastic.
Suddenly, I’m very interested in her worldview, childhood experiences, career aspirations, and whether she believes in giving strangers her phone number.
But seriously, I find people fascinating.
Which brings me back to TikTok Lives.
I’m always amazed by how freely people share deeply personal experiences with complete strangers.
You’ll enter a Live at 11:30p.m., and someone you’ve never met is explaining their childhood trauma, their parents’ marriage, their failed engagement, and why they no longer trust anyone whose name begins with J.
Meanwhile, strangers are listening, one person is sending roses, and another is commenting, “Men are naturally hunters.”
Sir, please. We’re discussing someone’s relationship with their father. 😭
But beneath all that chaos, I think there’s something profoundly human happening.
People want to be heard. They want to be understood. They want to connect. They want someone to care about the little details of their lives.
And perhaps that’s why relationships dominate so many conversations.
Because whether we’re discussing friendship, romance, family, Because whether we’re discussing friendship, romance, family, or even that colleague who suddenly starts treating you like a stranger because you didn’t contribute to their birthday cake, we’re ultimately talking about the people who shape our experience of being alive. 😂 we’re ultimately talking about the people who shape our experience of being alive.
Relationships can build people, break people, heal people, frustrate people, and occasionally convince otherwise intelligent adults to post motivational quotes about loyalty at 2 a.m.
Human beings are truly fascinating creatures. 😂
And maybe the reason relationships are such a universal topic is that, regardless of how independent we think we are, so much of life’s meaning is experienced through other people.
I’ve come to appreciate that simply knowing someone, listening to their story, or having someone genuinely interested in yours is one of life’s quiet pleasures.