Whether you believe in a creator or not, it is obvious that we are made to be in relationship with other people. I guess it is different in country towns than it is in cities, but it really does feel like our communities are disappearing with people avoiding each other more and more.
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When I was first married, I lived in a townhouse with three other townhouses on the block. For the 18 months that we lived there we never talked to our neighbours. It was only the week before we moved out that one of the neighbours started talking to us (they were pretty new to the block) and had us over for a cup of tea. For 18 months we just drove in and out of our automatic garages, barely even acknowledging each other.
Thankfully, it is a little different where I currently live. My next door neighbours are a lovely family who I love spending time with and there is another young mum a few doors down who I have met a couple of times. I feel really blessed to be building relationships with those who live near me.
Even though I think it is weird, there is some comfort in being anonymous sometimes. There are days when I prefer not to chat to anyone and I prefer a trip out to the shops without seeing anyone I know.
There are other times though, when it just feels wrong to be so close to another person and not relate to them in any way. Recently I sat in the front seat of a taxi (because it felt rude to sit in the back) and apart from a couple of comments we sat in silence, another time I was in a swimming class and there were 6-7 of us in the pool with our kids and no one said a word to each other. These situations are quite intimate, we are so close but not connecting at all.
I'm not sure if you have ever felt this way (maybe you have never really noticed), but I guess I just wanted to get people thinking about it. Sometimes people do want to be anonymous, but there are also lots of lonely people out there who are longing to connect with people. There are people who feel disconnected from people, unloved and alone. For those people a smile, or some acknowledgement that they actually exist would mean the world to them.
Next time you are at the shops, in a taxi, at the pool, maybe take the time to say hi, or smile or strike up a conversation. You might make someone's day or even make a new friend.
Have you ever thought about this?
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