How do we Make a Difference?

Seems like there was a time — not so many years ago — when it seemed like we had more connection with, and awareness of, the people around us.

There's something mildly ironic about writing those words, in the sense that we got the Internet, which was this marvelous invention that allowed us to reach out and touch people all over the globe, in real time.

And yet?

Many people feel more DISconnected than ever before.

For some reasons, it reminds a little of something we used to say back in the early days of cable TV: "One hundred channels, and there's nothing on."

What does this have to do with "making a difference?"

It used to be easier to make a difference. If our neighbor hurt his or her foot, we could offer to mow their lawn for them... because we actually KNEW everyone on our street, so it wouldn't seem weird.

Nowadays, I actually know people who live in apartment buildings and they don't know a single other soul living in the building. An apartment building... where hundreds of people live.

We walk around with our noses pressed against those tiny little screens and see nobody in the crowd around us. Of course, they don't see us, either...

It's hard to make a difference if you don't know anyone...

Which also begs the question: does anyone even CARE?

One of my school friends recently died. We knew each other when I lived in Spain as a teenager and were even girlfriend/boyfriend in that 15-year old way, for a bit.

We kept in touch by snail mail for many years; both of us moved to the USA; she to south Florida, I to Texas and then to Washington state. The odd thing about it was that the more technological the world became, the less we heard from each other.

Point being, instead of actually reaching out to others, we fall into a pattern of assuming that our friends are "keeping up with our Facebook/Insta feed."

But that's not really connecting, is it?

I discovered that my friend had passed away as a result of reading it on someone else's Facebook page...

So how do we make a difference?

Perhaps the simplest thing we can do is simply to reach out and share "physical evidence" of ourselves with a friend. Send a letter. Send a small random gift. A pressed flower. An unusual shell you found on the beach. A small piece of your artwork.

Be a human, not just another set of ones and zeros in the machine!

That's how you make a difference. It's not about "inventing a cure for cancer" or "being the first person to Mars."

If we all make small differences in the lives of the people around us... the world does become a better place.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great Friday!

How about you? How do you make a difference in the world? How often do you reach out and actually CONNECT with the people in your life, outside your immediate family? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2025.01.10 00:18 PST
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