Recently I read “Divided We Fall” by Kentucky native, David French. The premise of the book is that Americans are becoming more separated by politics and, if not rectified, that separation could realistically lead to the dissolution of our union. French puts forth a great case and I would highly recommend the book, but there was one particular section that stood out to me.
Citing Robert Putnam’s famous political essay “Bowling Alone,” French talks about the decline in civic associations and how that vacuum in our lives has been replaced by politics. Simply put, people are less involved in their communities, which leads them to interact less with people who think differently than them. That lack of diversity of thought gives us a skewed view on what our community is truly like.
Prior to the pandemic, this was obvious. People may have been out of their homes more, but social interaction was much lower. Dining out was at an all-time high. Now how often did you do so with people other than your family?
Our state is crazy for athletics. But how often did you attend a high school game that didn’t feature a family member playing?
Kentuckians are moving away from rural areas and living in more suburban neighborhoods. But can you honestly say you know your neighbors well?
The list could go on, as Putnam did when he pointed out that more people are bowling than ever before, but bowling leagues are almost a relic of the past. His argument is that this is not a positive for our culture.
There is a sense of rugged individualism among Americans. We like to do things our way and on our time. It’s one reason public transportation has never been successful in our country.
As a natural introvert, it’s a philosophy I can understand and appreciate. However, I also know that as human beings, fellowship with others is both physically and emotionally healthy for us. We are naturally social animals and those relationships are something that we, sometimes subconsciously, crave.
This is nothing revolutionary. As my friend, and pastor, Alan Redditt frequently mentions, the surest way to predict whether someone remains involved with and attending a church is their participation in less formal small groups. Not only is that because of the friendship factor, but it is also because there is a bit of social accountability among those in small groups.
That is equally as true for a community, especially ones with people moving in. As towns continue to grow exponentially, we cannot let the small town community feel, which attracted so many in the first place, to dwindle away.
In an effort to look for silver linings, I’ve said before that I think the current pandemic has provided us all opportunities to reevaluate who we are, what we want, and how we can get there. That’s true on both the individual and community levels.
What are your “small groups” in the community? Are you involved in civic or religious organizations? If so, what are you doing to reach out to those who are not? And, if you’re not, maybe the question is, why not?
I am politically engaged and wholeheartedly support people being involved in political organizations. But it cannot be the end-all be-all of our community involvement. If it is, we simply find ourselves in a partisan echo chamber that, by nature, finds ways to divide us further as a society. I don’t think anyone truly wants that, lest we follow the path French warns us about.
Tommy Druen is a Metcalfe County native. He can be reached at tommydruen@gmail.com
