Ripples
What makes us stronger.
Creating micro-connections
The bitter cold is making me grumpy because I feel limited to mostly indoor activities. It’s difficult to walk in the woods (or anywhere) because the ground is frozen and too slippery, even with microspikes and sturdy poles. For many in the US, the perils of ICE are endangering our sense of freedom and restricting daily routines.
To be fair, any feelings of isolation are a consequence of my self-imposed hibernation, yet that’s the last thing I need to be doing! Recalling my year of nomadic wandering, I thought about how I greeted each day with anticipation. New possibilities! Sure, sometimes I was tired from travelling between countries or anxious about encountering a new language. No matter. I took my wallflower-self outside to explore. I can’t recall a single day when I regretted getting out of bed and leaving my temporary accommodations. Even in bad weather, I did something, one thing, like a short walk or popping into a nearby cafe with my journal. Once I was outdoors, I felt accomplished and inevitably discovered something new-to-me.
As an introvert, I still experience that sense of achievement when I walk downtown, take a fitness class, or attend an event. I think, “Look! Here I am, doing this thing! Having this experience! How exciting!” No, seriously. I have those thoughts. They are little things, really. Maybe I’ll have a quick chat with a neighbor or compliment the store clerk’s manicure. Smile and thank someone for holding a door for me. And if it’s truly too dire outside, I text or call a friend. Check on a fellow writer in the London Writers’ Salon, or post an encouraging comment about someone’s Substack article. These micro-connections keep me going on days when I’d otherwise be a hermit in my cozy basecamp.
I like to think that, perhaps, my actions might be just enough to brighten someone’s day. Keep them going just a bit further than they thought possible. These are dark times, my friends, and I want to be a beam of sunshine pushing through the cracks because I need it, too. Maybe that small joy of interaction will ripple to another person and another. Isn’t that how we strengthen our communities? When we’re united, fear doesn’t win.
We are all called to contribute.
I read those words in a daily inspiration message and was struck by how much they resonated with my intention to create micro-connections. When I choose to share small acts of loving-kindness, be it in my local or global community, I’m expressing the gift of freedom and love. I’m acting as a rebel against the forces that would try to make us feel powerless. We can all do this - take back our personal power and our collective power by intentionally building micro-connections every day. Humans are far more likely to help people that we know rather than to help a stranger. So, go ahead and make eye contact. Offer a kind word. If we initiate those small efforts to reach out now, we won’t be wringing our hands and wondering what to do when things get messy. We’ll rely on the power of community.
Community, freedom, and justice
This week, I’ve been contemplating the words community, freedom, and justice. I’ve re-read some of the speeches and letters written by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and reflected on the heroic actions of the late poet, mother, and advocate, Renee Good. Both of these brave hearts stood for freedom and justice and believed in the power of community.
I’m holding these words in my heart this week, allowing them to emanate into my daily interactions. No grand gestures or divine billboards, just ripples through the mundane. Ripples of creative power and human brilliance that will persist and strengthen. This is my resistance.
I had a wonderful conversation with an elderly man while waiting in a doctor's office. We talked about the town where he lives and where I lived and worked for a short time, his family, his job, the coming storm, and other things. As a fellow introvert with a scattered mind, I find extended conversations with those I am close to difficult. These micro-connections help keep me grounded in the world.
Love the possibility of listening to this substack article! A lot of food for though and large small to maintain connection: persisting and resisting!