Something's been happening to us the last 40-years or so. A rather sad change for we who are trying improve the world around us.
If you belong to a branch of organized religion - participate in a civic organization - give of your time for a community project - encourage others to do the same - congratulations! Keep up the good work.
Because, what we're seeing now is more and more people being unwilling to do the same. Unwilling to give "time-talent-treasure" for the better good. To share in support of community.
Everywhere you look these days, churches, schools, community organizations and others are seeking volunteers. Ads in the paper. Pleas in a worship bulletin. Emails and other communications from schools. "Volunteers needed."
And, in large part, the need is going unmet. People with jobs. People with kids. People with other demands on their time. People feeling they're too busy. Just not enough time.
All too often, those "excuses" are pure B.S.. Our parents spent more of their time trying to make a living than we do these days. Many often had two jobs. Our parents didn't have I-Phones, computers and other aids to get their work done.
They had more demands on their time and still managed to volunteer at church - at schools - at service organizations - at endless community events. They had more demands on their lives yet they still managed to pitch in when necessary. When asked. When they saw a need.
As you consider those examples, think also of the current loss of many civic clubs, diminished congregations at mainline churches, granges, lodges, local business groups like chambers of commerce. Disappearing. Many just - gone.
Those were the "fiber" of our communities that brought people together, tackled civic needs, kept the lines of communications open and kept people busy and healthy. Now, many of them are no more.
Social media has had a lot to do with that. Very much so.
Rather than dress up a bit for church, we can now "zoom" the service from home - watching the service in our 'jammies.' Rather than go to a lodge or regularly attend service club meetings, we can text some of the people we used to see face-to-face. Rather than pitching in to undertake the completion of a community need, we can write a check. Pay someone to do what we used to do ourselves. As volunteers. I know. I've done it.
Dr. Anthony Fauci was recently on the "telly" talking about how these changes - and a few others - have made loneliness the number one national illness. People being separated from each other. People being alone.
Suicides rates are up. Divorces, too. The ills of lost "community" reaching ever higher numbers.
We are poorer - much poorer - for the passing of these fraternal, civic and religious attachments. We're losing touch with one another.
Many of us have noted the decline. With more than four-score years of life, I've seen the success of many of these community organizations in the past. Been a part of them. Realized the benefits of "pressing the flesh." Of participation. Of volunteering.
Now, we elders are seeing the reductions in membership - of regular face-to-face interplay with others - of fewer offering 'time, talent and treasure' for the common good. We're often experiencing pangs of loneliness - of separation. Exactly what Dr. Fauci talked about.
Maybe younger generations - the Z-er's, X-er's, millennial's and whatever comes next - maybe conditions of the lives they'll lead will offer a sort of community involvement in a new and different direction.
Maybe.
They'll have to! Because, if we lose more contact with one another - if we live lives of individuality rather than community - if we lose the common bond - the common connection - the very nature of a nation and its future will be at stake.
(image/Wikimedia Commons)
