Finding Community In A Cafe

 Hello, 

Gosh it's been quite a while since I wrote for myself over here, and I thought it would be nice to check in. 

Since my last post I have started an Instagram account highlighting day to day life with illness and disability, and started volunteering for a Foodbank in their Media and Comms team so it has been quite a writing-based time.  

How is your October going so far? I have to say I'm loving the mild and crisp sunny days we seem to be having at the moment. The conkers are falling, the leaves are crunching and everything is preparing for Winter. 

I wanted to write about an experience that inspired my yesterday, to think about the word 'community' and to delve into how easy it is to find this, in modern day society. 

I think with the normality of smart phones, especially as a twenty-something, I think it can be so easy to move about the world with your face solely illuminated via screen. Even if we wanted to meet others or strike up meaningful conversations, we may not have the time, or with the ever-depressing news, the trust in the goodness of humans. 

Yesterday afternoon I went for a walk to get out of the house before it got dark and stopped at a local coffee shop to get a hot drink. As the upstairs of the shop was closed, everyone was confined to the downstairs quarters and this meant that I happened to share a table with another lady also seeking coffee and cake. 

After chatting I learned she was also local and loved crime dramas, then, shortly after a gentleman called in on the way back from his weekly shop and found a space next to me. We all got chatting and I learnt that he used to be a land-agent and that he still loved to play the flute. That he was 89 and he loved reading historical novels. 

It was wonderful to chat to two people at such different points in their life from me and to listen to their stories. The point being, if I had buried my head in my phone or book out of comfort, I would have missed the whole thing. 

I think human connection, even briefly is so important and by being open to these small interactions we can really make ourselves happier. It reminds me of a Roald Dahl quote that I love: 

"Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you, because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it".

I think everyone has a bit of magic in them, tales of ordinary courage,  and we shouldn't be corralled into making friends with just people of our generation to find it.

Of course we must stay safe, but at the same time we can do this without being cold or dismissive. You never know how a conversation could inspire you or change your life for the better. 

I am currently drinking homemade ginger tea and waiting to go on a walk before darkness falls for another day. I hope you also have a wonderful evening, whatever you have planned. 

Write soon, 

Molly