A few months ago, I got a little stuck in my phone. I did exactly what I worry my teens will do: I started doomscrolling, focusing on lots of bad news with the excuse that I had to “stay informed.” Unfortunately, I was not able to solve any problems by staring at my little screen, but I did manage to give myself quite a few sleepless nights.
Luckily, I found the antidote to the doomscroll: I started making a more purposeful effort to chat with friends and neighbors. I put down the phone and volunteered at a food bank. I went for a run with friends. I took my family out to dinner at a local restaurant. I organized a food drive. I picked up coffee at a locally owned shop and hung around for a minute to soak up the atmosphere. I planned a few Girl Scout meetings. I explored some locally owned boutiques.
I steered clear of the clickbait headlines, online bots and social media feeds designed to provoke strong emotions. It didn’t fix the news, but it did help me. It reminded me that I live in a great community with a lot of people who are doing their best to do good every day.
As I put this issue together, I was looking at ways to build more connection points in the community, and it inspired the story about third spaces. I also found a lot of great ideas for places to connect by looking at the results of our Best of Cities South readers’ choice poll. Our readers outdid themselves with their recommendations this year—this list is truly a celebration of the area’s best businesses and services. I nodded along with a lot of the results and was pleasantly surprised to discover a few hidden gems!
As we head into the warm summer months, I hope we all lose our phones (OK, not forever, but maybe for a few hours.) and find meaningful ways to connect with family, friends and neighbors.
