Are You Disconnected?

I was walking on our local beach in Spain the other day. A lot of people do the same first thing in the morning and it's a really wonderful experience to be with nature in this way. What a great start to the day!

But what occurred to me in this lovely environment was that, as I approached other people on my walk, I smiled and wished them good morning. Very few responded at all. Those that did were friendly and the exchange brightened my day and I hope it did the same for them.

What caught my attention though, was that I could see that many people deliberately averted their eyes and walked past without making any contact whatsoever. Isn't that a bit odd, that when we see another human being, we don't acknowledge them? In the middle of London one might expect it, but here in our tiny coastal village!!!

It's highly unlikely that anybody here is going to mug you or do anything bad, so why do we so often disconnect ourselves in this way?

I know I've done it myself so I'm not being 'holier than thou' but, since I recognised it, I've made a deliberate effort to smile and acknowledge people when I pass them. When I get a response, it's really rewarding and raises my spirits.

In many ways, those of us who live in big cities, have already disconnected ourselves in many ways from nature, which stresses us out. We need time in nature to relax.

But we're also disconnecting ourselves from each other, which makes life more challenging and less pleasurable because we feel isolated. Clearly there's a bigger issue here about how society is also making whole sectors of the community feel unheard, but there's also the issue of taking personal responsibility to make things better and to change what we don't like.

Start making small changes when you're out walking, when you go into supermarkets or get on this bus. Say "Good morning" to the shop assistants or the bus driver or to people around you. Some may ignore you, but when you get a response, notice how much better you feel.

Start getting connected again. These are challenging times and we need to work together and to engage with each other to make changes for the better. It all starts with something as simple as a smile.