Newspapers are generally broken into two groupings: interest segments (sports, entertainment, classifieds, finance news, etc.) and scope (world, nation, state and local). The intent is to fully inform on a myriad of levels, which of course draws comprehensively from all reading groups and sells papers. However, when I listen to conversations and engage in them I find the first to be an active part of conversation (interest conversations), but the second to be less comprehensive. In fact, most of my conversations are on a broad range of topics: spiritual life being likely first, God, family, sports (shouldn’t be this high, but is since politics is a little less optimistic), politics, social events/culture and then the lesser valuable but always present weather, travel, daily schedule stuff.
Now I’ve noticed in listening to and participating in conversations, the scope of conversations is less equally spread around the world, nation, state, local, family, self. It is generally either focused on the macro or the micro, less often in-between. Conversations generally follow the “this is what is happening in my life” train and will naturally translate into what is common in my experience with humanity which eventually lead to the problems in the world or the problem with people in general. That is a micro to macro conversation. It either goes from general conversation about living in the world to my personal circumstance or the reverse- my personal life and a general conversation about the world in which we live.
While this is good and understandable, it misses a cog that should be a little more prevalent in my thinking- my surrounding community. Somewhere between the world and me is a part of the world that is within my reach but sadly often not touched by me. I would imagine you are the same way. Let me give you a clue of what I mean. You are likely intimately involved with your family and best friends. You know them all very well. Your personal problems and needs and financial situation is ever before you and on your mind. Moving to the outside world you are likely well aware not only of who Tiger Woods is but that he has had trouble in his personal life, who the president of the U.S. is, that Afghanistan and Iraq host the majority of our combat troops deployed overseas and that Michael Jackson died a suspicious death. Somewhere between the world and me is where it gets a little less involved for us. For example, who are the neighbors of your neighbors- two doors down (names, where they are from, what they do for a living, where they originally come from, what their life’s journey has involved). Another fitting example, when you get your ballot to vote, which persons do you need to research the most (which assumes you know the least about) before voting, the presidential and U.S. senatorial candidates or the local judicial nominees and county auditor? I would guess for most of us it would be the latter. They are closer to home but further away from our daily lives.
I don’t know if it has always been that way. My suspicion is that in centuries past the flow of knowledge and information went progressively from close to far away. There were no televisions, newspapers or computers. Literacy was relatively low anyway. Telecommunications makes the more interesting and farther away things(world and macro issues) very accessible. Television has given us familiarity with the President that early frontier Americans did not have in the 18th century. And, of course, computers make everything global into a local activity. Of course, we will always be most focused anyway on that which is in our hearts and lives and close relationships. It has always been that way and will always be that way.
Those who suffer from this macro and micro focus are those who are just down the street and around the corner. I think the tendency to look in and way beyond obscures our view of those who are really within our reach. What we mean by community is a shrinking population. It would be good if we could expand it a bit. Get to know someone just beyond familiarity and a good reason to know. Get involved in something that is just beyond your level of interest or personal impact. That middle ground is our neighbor as well.
Our greatest gaff is not in missing our immediate world, or in the greater world. It is missing the concern, information and care for those who are just out of our immediately view. There is a world of concern for us between the world and us. It is there that our touch can better reach than it currently does. Put the paper down for a bit. Get to know the nation and world celebrities and leaders a little less and work to get to know the bus driver a little more. You will find a whole new world that you can touch and influence.