During the height of the COVID pandemic I made a yard sign that said “You’re not ok. That’s ok.” Actually, I made 300 of them. I put one in my front yard and set the other 299 on my front porch. Soon they were gone. I tracked down those who took them and made a TTBOOK show about their stories.
We are repeating that show this week.
As we were preparing the repeat for airing a new study came across our desks from Harvard. The Harvard Gazette’s headline on the study says it all: “How social isolation, loneliness can shorten life.”
Two points from the research really struck me. One, 50% of Americans report being lonely. And that’s today, in 2023, when the COVID pandemic is “over.” Without any hyperbole it seems we are in yet another pandemic — a loneliness one. One, like with COVID, Americans seem to be ignoring as well.
The other point from their research that struck me is even more chilling — loneliness is contagious. Yes, you can catch loneliness from being around lonely people. And you can pass it on to others. This is counterintuitive on the surface, but let’s — together — dig deeper.
Maybe a place to start — a vaccine if you will — for the Loneliness Pandemic, is to declare that “You’re not ok.” And then say, That’s ok.” Then, pass it on.
– Charles