It’s not the great things that make us human but rather the thousands of every day seemingly meaningless bits of conversation and gossip that does. They bind us together as the communal and social animal that we are, building a common experience and a shared sense of belonging.
Our lives are filled with snatches of stories and chatter that reinforce our relationships with our fellow people. This morning, the woman cashier in the petrol station told me that red wine made her lips turn purple and gives her a headache for three days. This afternoon the assistant in the fish and chip shop told me how her colleague had little sense of humour and then we shared a small joke together. Both people I don’t know but with whom I shared a small but unique and intimate social engagement.
I may never meet these people again but I enjoyed our little pieces of banter, they cheered up what may have been a dull visit to the petrol station or fish and chop shop and I hope that they will have made their days go by a little quicker as well.
During the car journey, my family talked about ‘If it was the law to have one, which type of dog would you have?’, hardly earth shattering stuff but entertaining all the same. Each family member contributed to the conversation which helped to re-emphasise our family ties.
The growing use of social media is testament to the trivial over the meaningful. A quick visit to Twitter, for example shows you that most talk is of television programmes, sports events or what individuals are up to at that particular moment. There is a lot of information and interest group discussion but it is the minority rather than the majority. Social media is a lot like archaeology, you dig up the odd jewel but most of it is everyday pottery.
These small acts of social engagement are hugely important to our human story. Instead of groaning and rolling our eyes at the inane background chatter, we should celebrate its diversity and ingenuity and recognise that it is the glue that holds us all together.
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 