I moved to the Rockford area five years ago with my husband, knowing no one, and it has been challenging to make new friends. I know people are happier chatting with a stranger rather than staying silent, yet I remain a bit shy. I think we all need a little help to connect with others, and I have an idea.
So many structures isolate us from the community, exacerbated by pandemic. Some undeniable conveniences do contribute to our isolation: grocery pick up or delivery, strip malls, drive-thru service, distance learning, virtual assistants, chat bots, telework, smart phones, on demand movies and tv programming, can we do any more to avoid each other? Probably. Our community members are becoming faceless…how depressing.
And yet! When I look around, I see great new developments, infrastructure, businesses…Everywhere I go, I find warm faces, someone holding a door, someone smiling at my baby.
Which is why I have a question, and an idea! Can we hang out sometime, somewhere? I mean, can we create more of the spaces that will help us slow down and connect? Why aren’t we building in more gathering spaces? All you need is a place to sit and something to look at…here are some popular elements: a bench or two, a patch of garden, tables and chairs or picnic tables, a tree, or a fountain, or a sculpture, a nice view... Give us something to slow down for—that’s when magic happens. We will nod and smile the first time we meet. We’ll keep meeting, and start saying hello and making weather comments or little jokes, then wave when we see each other in the store… and then realize what we have created is a community connection, a budding friendship. An invisible hug. We need more gathering spaces to connect. I’ll meet you there!
