All Alone in the Midst of Many : Part 4

The first day of classes went well. I think I am going to like them all and at this point none of them seem to have an overwhelming amount of homework. I hope that you had a wonderful Monday.

I am posting the fourth in the series on social isolation in America. This is the final post in this series. I hope that you haven't been bored by it and has I have said numerous times before, I truly hope that you have been challenged and enlightened as you have read.

No matter how unpromising the circumstances seem it should not be considered too late to amend the situation. Mankind, in spite of everything, has within them a created need for relationship. There is evidence of this in society’s behavior. The very fact that social networking sites have grown to such enormous popularity is verification that people want to be connected in some way. The current trend in television advertising also attests to the strong desire to belong within a community of people. Support for this matter has become evident on college campuses as well with the return of the living room or commons area to the dorms. People want to connect.
What should the next step be for helping people become more intimately connected? Should there be a campaign to discontinue the use of modern technology, such as the internet social networks, to build relationships? The better plan would be to incorporate these valuable tools into ways of getting people together face to face, and heart to heart. Because so many people can stay in touch with each other with so little investment of time and effort it can be a great asset in developing relationships. These networks are not a good substitute for face to face connections.
One method of integrating this media into healthy relationship building is to promote projects on the social networks that those of common interests can participate in together. For instance, a group of people who enjoy lawn and garden work could be brought together to help clean up a local neighborhood that has been neglected. The benefits would not only be the beautification of the neighborhood, but people coming together with a common interest and goal to make a difference for others. This is a fertile seedbed for relationship and true connectedness to begin to grow. The possibilities are endless and the benefits can be limitless when modern technology is combined with the traditional approach to building community.
For thousands of years people have come together around a table of some sort to share a meal as a way of connecting. This is still one of the paramount ways of relating. A fun twist on sharing a meal and involving an entire neighborhood is the progressive dinner. For this dinner each family involved hosts a different course in their home. This is especially fun around the holidays. Homes are decorated with a flare of the families’ personality and moods are festive for this time of sharing in one another’s life. One immense advantage of the progressive dinner is the fact that several families all get to share their homes and fare with each other in a single evening.
The family has suffered greatly in this era of social isolation. Each family member has their own television, computer, mobile phone and myriad of other activities that keep them separated. A popular trend from the past that is experiencing a revival is the family game night. One night is set aside for the family to be together for dinner and an evening of playing board games. Even one night spent together can build a bond of memories that last a life time. This is also an opportunity to teach the children the importance of all deep meaningful relationships especially family relationships.
There is an old story that is told about a retirement home in Florida. Most of these people were retirees who had moved to Florida away from their families. When their spouses passed away and they reached a time when they could no longer care for themselves they were admitted to the retirement home. Alone and so far from their families, these people felt very lonely and isolated. A local businessman passed by this home every day on his way to and from work. With each trip passed the home his heart would break as he witnessed the miserable countenances of the residents. Each morning after breakfast the staff would bring them outside and seat them in rows of chairs facing the street. The same routine was followed after each meal.
One day the businessman left for work early. As he came to the retirement home he quickly rearranged the chairs in front of the home into a circle. He then paused across the street to watch as the staff led the residents outside. Though they were all a bit puzzled at first, the residents began to sit in the circle of chairs. With a sense of hope the businessman walked away to his office. Over the next few weeks the businessman began to notice that the residents of the retirement home were looking happier and they were talking freely with each other. He was quite pleased with the results of merely moving the chairs into a circle. This one simple act made all the difference in the sense of community that these people experienced.
One simple act could be all it would take to become more connected to others as well. Making eye contact as we greet people on the street, opening the door for someone, inviting a neighbor for coffee and dessert, or even checking with them before a trip is made to the grocery store, these are all efforts that will help to build relationships. By building relationships and becoming more connected with the people in one’s life not only benefits the individual, but our society as well.