Good 'ole Human Interaction

As TV characters become the people in our lives we're rooting for, and "friends" becomes a term for how many people you have added on an internet website, it's easy to see how our view of human interaction has changed. This is not going to be a technology bashing essay, if anything, technology has increased interaction between many people that you would have lost touch with, or had a hard time keeping in touch with prior. It is ironic that something that is such a massive "meeting place" for people all over the globe can also create such a wedge of distance in "real life" relationships. As most of us find, the more technology advances, the more we find our lives centralling around it. Whether it's a huge part of your job, or a main outlet of "escape" from the stresses of the day, most people are finding themselves more and more dependent upon what used to be optional. With "phones" that now make you constantly available to an innumerous amount of ways to be reached, it is hard to make a difinitive line of escape from social media.

It would be ignorant on my part to try and discourage use of technology as it continues to advance, and for many people, it is non-optional. What I would like to encourage, however, is an increased effort for us all to get involved in our community. On a local, State, and National scale.

Here is a link to a short video about the happiest town in America. You can't help but notice how much of the "happiness" centrals around the idea of community.

Video/topic/oprahshowhttp://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Happiest-City-in-America-San-Luis-Obispo-Video

Now that human interaction is something you have to work to incorporate into your life, I hope we all continue to make that effort!

What do you think? Have you joined a class, club, or community event that keeps you engaged and interacting with others? How do you keep your kids engaged socially? Have you found that focusing on relationships has made a change in your life outlook? Share your thoughts below!