Today, I have had some time to think of the importance of what it is to connect in person with other people, interacting with them as part of day-to-day life. The person in the corner shop, the person at the car park who smiled across at me, my colleagues at work and all the other people who perhaps noticed my existence, maybe even looking at me from a car alongside mine in the traffic jam on the motorway or someone who passed me on my walk to work. Some of these people I know well, some I am acquainted with and some of them are unknown faces whom I do not know and probably will never know anything about. Whoever they are and whatever that relationship to me is, or not, I am aware that each one makes an impression of some degree whether large or small, on my life, my mood, my general wellbeing and my overall state of mind. I often wonder if my connection with each of these individuals makes an impression on their life and if they are aware of how important their little nod, smile, gesture, really is to them and the importance of the community instilled by this.
This interaction is important and in even the tiniest way, it really does matter. It matters to me as a person and is a contributing factor to me in my everyday life. A life that I am aware, for me and for most people changed drastically in what seems like, the blink of an eye in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. At this time all or most of these little interactions just stopped, as we entered the first period of lockdown and either were placed on furlough, stopped working or began working remotely from home, the latter some people are still doing at least for part of the week anyway.
During all this time we were remote individuals, Individuals who, living in a time in our evolution, we had never been more digitally connected but connected and disconnected simultaneously and for the main part, sometimes void of all or most of these little interactions. We were doing so to keep ourselves safe. One of the two main things we do as humans ……the other thing we do is connect with others, this fundamental need that we have, we were no longer permitted to do.
These two fundamental needs which usually coexist and are dependent on each other were prised apart and very uncomfortable for most of us to experience, whether we realized it at the time or not..
As time went on during the lockdown and amidst constant regulations and restrictions, we found ways, sometimes creative ones, to engage with each other and fill that fundamental need we have as humans to connect with each other.
This rich tapestry of life and the ability we have to adapt to very different and sometimes strange and unusual situations in order to meet our individual need to connect with others and to stay safe each day is really important to each and everyone of us. Equally important though is the physical interactions that consciously and unconsciously bind us together as people and as a caring and healthy society
I wonder if this is something you have thought about ??
