I’m currently on an extended trip to Europe (mostly Italy) and we just finished a stay in Napoli and the town of Amalfi. What struck me is that the people here have such great relationships with their friends and the people in the community. I saw shop keepers saying good morning to about a dozen people as they walked past their shop. That just doesn’t happen much in the US anymore. People are afraid to interact with their barista or breakfast spot. We are in our own little world with our AirPods in. Don’t talk to anyone, don’t make eye contact, be afraid. It’s a very different mindset and mentality. Not to say one is better or worse but I miss the days where people interacted more and weren’t afraid.

When my son went to school we met a whole new group of people in our neighborhood and it made the city a much smaller place with more pleasant interactions. We now see a lot more people out and about and it’s nice to know neighbors. Why does it take a child going to school to build that sense of community? Why can’t we all just open up a little bit more and interact with one another? Communities that have relationships are stronger. People are willing to help one another and feel like an extended family. I don’t know how you change any of this but it’s been great to experience this again in Europe and this time for a longer time than the past. I hope to bring some of this back with me when I finally go back to Chicago. How long this feeling will last is unknown but I like the way I feel right now and I want to keep it as long as I can.