Six Degrees of Separation...or less

Engage, Enlighten, Encourage and especially just be yourself...
Social media is a community effort, everyone is an asset.
Susan Cooper

by Skip Cohen

It's Sunday, and for those of you who regularly follow me, you already know I step away from business and marketing topics. Sunday Morning Reflections is often about things in our lives outside of imaging.
 
Most of the pandemic challenges over the last eight months have been negative and difficult to adjust to, but there's one change that's been fun - being more active in social media. I won't deny that nothing replaces LIVE human contact, but at least keeping in touch has been possible, primarily through Facebook. I'm online more than I've ever been, and in the process, I discovered a private group I've grown to really appreciate.

In a previous post, I wrote briefly about a group, "If You Grew Up in Painesville, Ohio You Remember..."  It's my home town, and they're 12,200+ strong. I'm not sure how I found them, but it's been a kick to read the posts and share the love and memories we have for growing up in a small town in Ohio. 

As I've shared the old photographs and backstories to the images above, there's another side benefit. It's like the six degrees of separation with Kevin Bacon game, I've connected with people from my childhood...

• My first post was pictures from my grandfather's hardware store in the early 1900s. Through that post, people commented who knew my grandparents, including the guys that bought his store when my grandfather retired. I met them back in the 70s. 
• One post led to another, and the daughter of my favorite baby-sitter surfaced. Just thinking back to those days and times with her when I was kid made me smile.
• I've connected with not only the people who live in my grandmother's house today, but a family who recognized a summer house from the late 30s my grandparents owned or rented.
• My Mother was active in the community theater at the local college, and I caught up to the daughter of one of the key staff members who was a good friend of my Mom's.
• The son of good friends of my Mom and Dad's surfaced. I'd met him when we were kids. We vacationed once at their home in Vermont.
• The daughter of my Aunt Rose's mother's helper introduced herself through a post one day.
• The daughter of my Mother's very best friend caught up to me in a post last week. I met her when we were kids, but her parents were such good friends of my folks. There's often one couple in our lives that become the very best of friends - well, this couple was the one for my folks, and both have long since passed away.

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Over the last month I've shared old photographs, as well as photographs of contemporary events, like the summer Friday night car shows in the town square I've taken when up north on visits. Each time the response has opened the door to new conversations and things in the community so many of us remember. 

The bottom line is the pandemic, combined with social media, has made the world a smaller place. I've been heavily active in social media for the last couple of decades, but almost always related to business or friends in the industry. Stepping back into my hometown and sharing memories is incredibly uplifting, but it's also pointed out the obvious, we really are all connected. ​​

Wishing everybody a day to appreciate how connected we are to each other. Take the time to kick back and just chill. Don't let the negativity in the world through your front door - it'll still be there tomorrow! And if you want to have some fun, take a walk down Memory Lane - we can never go back, but we can look back and cherish our roots!

And to old friends and new ones from my hometown - what a kick it's been connecting. Looking forward to sharing so many more memories - now if somebody can just get the recipe for a pizza from Angelo's!

Happy Sunday or Monday if you're on the other side of the world!