Start with Hello: (And Other Simple Ways to Live as Neighbors)

by Shannan Martin

How do we fix the vexing cultural diagnoses of isolation, division, and despair? By making (and sustaining) contact.

Life carries on, but this moment will never exist again. Creating a rhythm of attentiveness awakens us to possibility and tunes our hearts to the key of wonder.

There is no such thing as a trivial connection.

Just remember: baby steps. I’m not asking you to take a girls’ trip with anyone or spill your guts to the next person you encounter. I’m just nudging you to admire the sky, take a walk, and say hello.

I’ve seen the way shared bonds make humans a little more whole.

Beautiful lives can be tremendously sad. And sad-looking places can be tremendously beautiful. Where we live shapes our worldview, for better or for worse. No matter our zip code, it’s up to us to search for contrast even while we love the ground where we’re planted.

These glimpses of humanity draw me closer to them, not further away.

The struggle to make each today better than each yesterday is a goal worthy of the common good. But on the flip side of communal possibility, there are some perks in it for us too, which we can’t help but acknowledge. More peace, more harmony, a greater sense of taking our citizenship seriously.

Mutual trust and easy affection won’t erase the ills of our wonky, wobbly world. We’ve got buckets of work to do, but beginning with a clear sense of solidarity is a great place to begin. Making one neighborhood more connected makes the world more connected. The math checks out. Here’s to inching away from the familiar.

Showing up needy sets the tone for a life of ordinary connectedness. You go first, and others will follow. (I’m excited for you already!)