A recent article in The Guardian reminds us that loneliness is a serious public health issue. As the UK Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has said, loneliness and isolation is as “bad for you” as “smoking 15 cigarettes a day” and “worse than obesity”. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/14/age-of-loneliness-killing-us?CMP=share_btn_link

I have just returned from a weekend music festival.  We listened to amazing music all throughout the day and camped in a farmer’s field at night.  Although people came to this festival from all parts of the country, a strong sense of community was quickly established.   I couldn’t help but compare this experience to the sense of loneliness that is being continually reported throughout North America and that many of us experience in our every day lives.

Here are 4 things that occurred that seemed to make all the difference:

1.)   People reached out to one another. Everyone said, “Hi”, “Good morning!” and were present to other.

2.)   There were offers of hospitality, and sharing of gifts and stories.

3.)   People offered invitations and shared their resources with each other

4.)   There was acknowledgement of the gifts of others. People listened and were attentive and appreciated one another.

The music festival and campsites were fertile ground for a caring community.  What happens when we do more of these things in our own  neighborhoods at home?

Photo: from Hinterland Music Festival