Lonely people cast no shadow.............

 ''Les solitaires ne jettent aucune ombre.''

(Lonely people cast no shadow.)

Lonely people cast no shadows.

That's why it is so easy

not to see them.

Lonely people cast no shadows.

That's why it is so easy

not to hear them.

Lonely people cast no shadows.

That's why it is so easy

to just ignore them.

Lonely people cast no shadows.

That's why it is so easy

to look down on them.

Lonely people cast no shadows.

That's why it is so easy

to misjudge them.

Lonely people cast no shadows.

That's why it is so easy

to forget about them.

Lonely people cast no shadows.

That's why it is so easy

to disregard their tears.

Lonely people cast no shadows.

That's why it is so easy

to dismiss their humanity.

(Citizen Z)

''All the lonely people/Where do they all belong?'' 

Lennon - McCartney ask in their song ''Eleanor Rigby''.

A good question methinks.

Some say that although we may be more ''connected''

now then before we came up with the Internet,

paradoxically, we are apparently also lonelier.

According to Dr. Elias Aboujaoude, a Stanford University

psychiatrist: ''Internet-related technologies may give us

the perception of connectedness, the truth however he says,

is that the time and energy we spend on social media etc. comes

with the cost of missing out on more genuine and supportive

friendships.''

Numerous studies have found that spending a lot of time on

 social media can lead to feelings of depression, inadequacy

 and isolation as we compare our lives with everyone 

else's carefully edited versions.

Due to my son's illness I find myself spending a lot

of time in a variety of waiting rooms.

Doing so I have noticed that I am usually the only

one not scrolling or browsing (on) my phone.

I may be wrong, but sometimes I wonder if it is not

possible that our phones may create invisible barriers,

''bubbles'', which makes it possible for us to 

remain in our own ''worlds'', oblivious/unaware of 

the many splendored activities and bustling ''life'' that's

taking place everywhere, all the time, and all around us.

There are many places where we have to wait for our

turn.

At the shops, in banks, the dentists, the doctors, in hospitals,

in restaurants, in coffee shops, at the movies, at the bus stop

the train station, the airport etc. etc. etc.

Could these places not be viewed as excellent opportunities

for making new connections?

For making someone ''visible'' who may be feeling invisible?

The barista handed me my coffee. I still had half an hour to

kill. I scanned the food court and noticed an elderly woman

sitting alone slowly stirring her hot drink and staring into

nowhere. There was an air of sadness about her.

I decided to overcome my shyness and say something to her.

-Do you mind if I share this table with you? I asked.

-Please do, she said and then continued: -I haven't

spoken to a soul for days and I could do with a bit of

company.

Although once having been rebuked by someone for

starting conversations with ''strangers'', I have decided

that there are no strangers only potential friends

 I'm yet to meet.

''One of the most important things you can do on this earth

is to let people know they are not alone.''

(Shannon L. Alder)

about the image: graphite on paper, some editing in Elements

Oh, the reason for the French title is that I met a nice

 French speaking woman while waiting for my

son to have an ultra sound done on his heart. 

She translated it for me and it just sounded soooo good.