I've never been speed dating! I sort of wish I had, just for the

Hear now the reflection of America Ferrera, who once said: “I’ve never been speed dating! I sort of wish I had, just for the experience of it.” Though the words are light and playful, they carry within them the seed of ancient wisdom. For she speaks not only of speed dating, but of the longing that dwells in every soul — the yearning not merely to live safely, but to experience life in all its colors, even those that pass swiftly, like sparks before the wind. In her gentle confession lies a call to curiosity, to courage, and to the sacred art of participation in the great unfolding of existence.

To wish for experience is to honor the divine gift of being human. Ferrera, in her remark, stands not as one who regrets, but as one who recognizes the beauty of the untried. The ancients taught that knowledge without experience is like a lamp unlit — it may be well built, but it does not shine. The world is not meant to be observed only through glass, nor from the safety of one’s chamber. Every fleeting encounter, every chance meeting, every heartbeat shared with a stranger in the briefest of moments, adds to the tapestry of the soul. Even in something as modern and fleeting as speed dating, there lies the eternal rhythm of humanity’s search for connection — swift, uncertain, but filled with possibility.

Consider the tale of Odysseus, the wanderer of Ithaca. He could have lived and died a quiet king, ruling in peace beside his faithful wife. Yet he was called to the seas, drawn by storms, monsters, and marvels unknown. Each trial — whether cruel or wondrous — shaped him, carved his wisdom, and deepened his spirit. In Ferrera’s wistful tone, we hear an echo of that same human call — the call not just to succeed, but to experience, to feel the pulse of life in all its variety, to know what it is to risk, to stumble, and to laugh at one’s own daring.

What, then, is speed dating, if not a mirror of the age? It is the art of meeting many souls in little time, of glimpsing worlds within moments. It is both trivial and profound — for though the form may seem lighthearted, the essence is ancient: the desire to see and be seen, to find resonance among strangers. It reminds us that even brief encounters can leave lasting marks, that the human heart is vast enough to hold a thousand impressions, even from faces we may never see again. Such is the paradox of modern life — we move swiftly, yet still yearn deeply; we speak briefly, yet hope eternally.

Ferrera’s longing “just for the experience of it” reveals a deeper truth: that experience itself is sacred, even when it leads nowhere, even when it is imperfect. The wise do not measure life by outcome, but by participation. The artist, the seeker, the lover — all understand this: that to have lived fully is to have felt deeply, regardless of how the story ends. A life without risk, without newness, without laughter at one’s own folly, is a life half-lived. As the philosopher Heraclitus once said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice,” for the river changes, and so does the man. So too with experiences — even those that last mere minutes — they transform us in subtle, sacred ways.

Let this be a lesson to those who hesitate before the unknown. Do not wait for perfection before you step forward. The world rewards not the observer, but the participant — the one who dares to taste the unfamiliar. Whether the experience is great or small, joyous or awkward, it carries within it the spark of growth. Seek experience for its own sake, for even failure teaches courage, and even discomfort teaches humility.

So, to the listener of this teaching, take heed: do not let life pass you by in comfort and hesitation. Go forth and try — try the strange, the brief, the unfamiliar. Speak to strangers, learn new arts, walk paths you have never walked. For in doing so, you honor the divine impulse that Ferrera’s words quietly awaken — the desire to live expansively, to collect not trophies but moments, and to be, in the end, rich not in possessions, but in experiences.

Thus is the wisdom of her light-hearted confession: that to wish for an experience, even one small and fleeting, is to affirm the sacred truth that life itself — in all its brevity and beauty — is worth meeting face to face.