The one thing I value more than anything else in the world--and yes, that includes theatre--is people, and more specifically relationships. The one thing I've never understood about people, though, is how we have a tendency to forget how important we are to one another.
Take a moment, if you will, and put yourself in the following scenario: You are the last living creature on Earth. No pets, no people, nothing. All you've got is you and what you can find. You're totally alone. We, as humans, are a social species, and according to University of Chicago's social neuroscientist and co-author of Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, John Cacioppo, "For a social species, to be on the edge of the social perimeter is to be in a dangerous position...The brain goes into a self-preservation state that brings with it a lot of unwanted effects."
Loneliness affects nearly 60 million Americans, alone. New research suggests that loneliness and social isolation are as much a threat to your health as obesity. As Richard Lang, MD, chair of preventive medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio puts it, people need to attend to loneliness in, “the same way they would their diet, exercise, or how much sleep they get.”
Which brings me back to my original point: we're important to each other. I, myself, have struggled with loneliness a lot in the past, and even to this day still battle it on occasion. What's important is that we, as a species, recognize how valuable we each are individually. In light of recent tragedies, I'm realizing more and more how important it is to be present in each other's lives. We have so much power in our actions and our words. To quote an extremely silly but seemingly relevant show, [scrubs], "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will hurt forever."
We forget how valuable we are and I think it's time we started treating each other that way, as opposed to being hurtful.
Recently, today's Broadway stars recorded "What The World Needs Now Is Love," which I've included below. And I think ultimately, that's what I'm trying to get across. Just be kind to each other. We need it now more than ever.
