Do you know what single thing increases your risk of anxiety and depression, heart disease, dementia, and stroke, to the point where it’s comparable to smoking daily as far as possible premature death goes?
No, it’s not Doritos.
It’s social disconnection. Loneliness.
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The Surgeon General recently recommended a national framework to rebuild social interaction. And I so appreciated this article, because he talked about his own loneliness, throwing himself into his work.
Vulnerability itself is an essential component of connection.
A national framework sounds great. But I think we all need our own personal framework. It’s part of why I moved from Seattle, where I had to hustle all the time to meet the cost of living, and friends were moving farther and farther out from the walkable neighborhoods where we met.
I moved to a smaller town where old friends live across the street. I have a ladies’ night every Thursday, play pickleball every Sunday, and write online with my writer buddies every day.
Writing can be a solitary activity, so having a community of fellow writers to celebrate with and commiserate with has been incredibly rewarding.
That’s why I wanted to extend an invitation to you. If you’re a writer who would love to connect with others who are on the path, I invite you to join us at A Very Important Meeting. You can write with others once a week, on the weekends, or challenge yourself to every day of the week.
