May 22, 2010
“We have known what it is
like to have less time and less money. The idea that we have less of each
other’s attention is a little harder to grasp.”
Living with less
as a result of the Great Recession is becoming old news. It’s been nearly two
years now. The novelty of finding happiness through things that don’t cost
money has worn off. We have gotten more used to it. We can even be at a point
when we take for granted, once again, the importance of our relationships with
others. Think back to 9/11 and how right after that we drew our families and
friends close to us. Remember how quickly that wore off?
While the
novelty of the up side of living with less is wearing off, there are two
developing dynamics worth mentioning.
First, I am
seeing more signs that Americans are taking economic recovery for granted. For
more than a year now in monthly national polls, 2/3 of Americans say the
economy will strengthen and 1/3 say it will weaken. On one side, I guess it
wouldn’t take much for the strengthening side to prove true. It’s been rough.
But this recession is the worst in over 70 years. 9/11 was the worst tragedy in
over 60. The last half of the last century was a pretty comfortable ride for
Americans. We saw enough recessions to believe – even while we were down – that
it would end soon and end better. Can we really take a quick recovery for
granted this time?
Second, most of
us have lost money one way or another this time. Related to that, we lost time
trying to figure out how to live with less or recapture what we lost. What we
are not seeing in the process is we have also lost attention.
What I mean by
that is America
has been so jarred by 9/11 and the Great Recession that it is likely the fabric
of our culture and the way we live day to day will change. For five decades
until 2000, American life was largely stable and pretty predictable. Many
Americans had thoughtful energy left to focus on new things and the lives of
others after they were confident their own affairs were in order. I don’t think
that’s true now and I don’t think that is likely to change any time soon.
We may take for
granted that we are in economic recovery or will be there soon. For the
overwhelming majority of Americans, “recovery” does not however mean restoring
all that was personally lost economically this go round. Not only that, we have
been shaken enough to be uncertain what the future holds. As a result, we are
forced to pay much more attention to getting through day-to-day life than any
time in over 50 years. And that attention to the details of life is here for
quite a while to come.
What does that
have to do with community?
Have you noticed
it’s harder to get someone’s attention?
Have you found
yourself just a bit more hesitant to say yes to do something – anything –
beyond your daily routine?
I think we all
feel we have fewer resources these day – money, time, AND ATTENTION – and
perhaps we have come to take for granted, again, the value of the quality of
life that comes from living with less and living in a way that is more
connected with our families and friends.
Fight through
it! Do it anyway, even when it feels awkward, or you are shy, or tired, or
unmotivated. Take the extra seconds to say “Hi,” the few minutes to catch up
with a friend, the hour or two to go to the community event. While our money may be less, and we may have
less time and attention, and we may take community for granted once again, the
dividends for time and attention invested in maintaining relationships are
paying returns that are at an all-time high.