I heard a comment the other day blaming Society for certain ills in our communities. Really? Can we blame “Society”??
Who, by the way, is “Society”? Aren’t we—you, me, and the next person—“Society”? Personally, I understand that I am responsible for me. I may not like what is going on around me—and, believe me, I find very little comfort in the world—but, ultimately, I make decisions for myself.
Today might seem like a bit of a rant, but so be it. I need to get on my soapbox every so often and speak to myself.
Where does one begin to address the ills of our communities? There are so many to discuss. The one particular ill that was identified the other day involved the lack of community. How we don’t talk to one another anymore. How we don’t know our neighbors. How we expect the government to care for the needs of the masses. How we bury ourselves in our phones and computers and don’t communicate face-to-face. These, and more, are certainly problems in our communities (i.e., “society”), but why?
I don’t know the whys and whens, per se. Sociology is not my science of choice. I do know, however, that the trends exist. When I walk the halls of my university between classes, I see lines of students focused on their smart phones. When we take a break in class, the majority of students pull out their phones rather than talk to the person next to them. I have had colleagues e-mail me rather than walk to my office. I told my students the other day that I have literally only picked up the receiver on the phone in my office twice in the last year. In restaurants, it is not uncommon to see everyone at a table looking at his or her phone. Whose fault it this?
If we blame “Society”, we are in complete denial. There is no nebulous force controlling us and dictating that we shield ourselves from others. We close ourselves off from other. That phone does not control us. Don’t know your neighbors? When was the last time you knocked on their door? When was the last time you waved to someone across the street, had a party and invited people you don’t know? (And by “you” I mean “I”.)
We have the opportunity every day to make our communities better. We have the opportunity to feed the hungry, bring comfort to the uncomfortable, visit the lonely, give hope to children, etc. If you don’t know your neighbor, introduce yourself! Put down your phone and talk to the person across from you or next to you!
It always bothers me that today’s churches take a moment at the beginning of a service to ask everyone to say good morning to someone nearby them. Of all places, shouldn’t “fellowship” be the norm? Instead we see people arrive late and leave early. Our neighborhoods are no better.
Oh, I could go on, but my family is up, and I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t go spend time with them.
Carpe momento! (It is the fault of no one else, if you/I choose not to!)