Wouldn’t it be wonderful to eliminate loneliness? Not just for the Traditionalists and Baby Boomers, but for all generations. And for the different generations to meet and have face to face conversations?
Wouldn’t it be great to have a place to meet, reduce loneliness, and just chat with someone from your town?
- To perhaps meet someone new
- To be out and about in the community
- To share a thought
- Have a lengthy discussion in person outdoors
The Washington Post recently posted this story.
“The story starts in England, when an elderly widow who had been scammed. She would get a call each morning from a man pretending to be friend, and he eventually convinced her to give him $31,000. She said she didn’t mind sending the con man money. “Otherwise, I would never speak to another person for weeks on end”, she said.
Here’s what one community in Western England is doing. The police department let Sgt. Ashley Jones designate a couple of “chat benches” in two local parks this summer. In mid – June, he hung colorful signs that said:
“The ‘Happy to Chat’ Bench. Sit here if you don’t mind someone stopping to say hello”
A few days later other Western England communities put up signs in the local parks; there are more than 10 benches with signs, where people congregate. Jones continues to say, “the Happy to Chat’ sign helps break down the invisible wall between strangers who might be sitting side by side but are uncertain about starting a conversation.”
Now there are more than 40 conversation benches scattered through the United Kingdom, and people from other countries including Australia and the United States are showing interest to do similar projects; Jones received a call from a real estate agent in Prineville, Oregon, who said she is having some custom made chat benches built, with the goal of putting them in local parks.”
Big Idea from Alysia:
Let’s bring this idea to the Midlands in South Carolina; let’s identify all the park benches in each community, and place one of these signs on each bench and start the in – person conversation, two people at a time. It’s also a way to encourage the multi – generations to meet and talk …to each other!
Join me on a bench and let’s talk