A really good question! At least in my minds eye. Then one says, ” well, in what?” Then I would say, “does it matter?” Then that one says, “you’re talking silly” and walks away. I know this because I do it all the time. When I asked if someone is interested they thought I meant that I was asking if I could share something with them and see if I were aligned with them. When, what I asked, was if they were interested, they did answered. What I heard was no. Why? Because, ‘depends’ is not a response indicating an affirmative. If you’re qualifying everything with your current understanding and filters you will always have all of the same outcomes from your efforts. You must become interested in things outside of you current place in life to grow or get farther.
The older I’ve gotten I think the most discouraging thing I’ve learned is that 80% of everyone I have met are not interested in any thing beyond their immediate station AND to top it off they believe that everyone else is just the same. Of the 20% probably the smallest portion are interested beyond their personal space enough to recognize the value of the other people in their community. I think I see too that as we go online more and more things get more so this way.
The various places I have lived and the various times have yielded different results as well but by and large things are going ‘south’ as they say. I believe we must recognize that a family is a community and needs people actively engage in its physical well being, mental well being, emotional well being and especially our spiritual well being! People are created to relate, have relationships and life long bonds. I have found the most satisfying things I have in my life are memories shared with those who have been involved in the longest portions of my life. Each new person I meet, I anticipate them being the next long term relationship that is as rich or richer than those I have now.
It seems to me that each of us is so consumed in living, making a living or avoiding a catastrophe that we have the least bit of time to spend outside of these concerns. We’re hardly there for each other or not at all. We do ourselves in altogether. Not only are we consumed with toil everyday but we can’t even find the time to be a friend so that when we need one, we have one.
I know this is reading like an obituary. I don’t intend to discourage you. I want to lift you up and encourage you. Consider this if you will take some interest. You’re best moments that you can remember are??? Think on it. Was there someone else intimately involved. I think so. I can remember a long long time ago a bunch of us driving down Interstate 70 at midnight doing 100 miles an hour with our headlights off. Exciting yes, but most enjoyable is being able to sit and share it with Jeff who banged up a fender on his car. He’s still around. We still talk about it. We laugh and toast to a future with more of such memorable things. Sure I have memories with others who are not around, but I would trade them all for more with those who are around. They are so much richer.
Here is the encouragement I want to leave with you now. Become more interested in those who are in you life today. See if perhaps you can create a community of two that can share a memory for 40 years with laughter and love. Look to grumpy old Ethyl who lives next door and see if you can be a neighbor and turn her frown upside down and see if she can be your new friend. Invite someone over to play cards and find out what their dream might be.
You need it. Your community needs it. America needs it. We all do and unless you and I make that effort no one else will. Help you country today. Get interested in the people in your neighborhood and watch it do you some good!
Go please. Be great!
Greg