First Impressions!

Summer is coming and in West Cork, we welcome people from all over the world. Some will pass us by on the roads and increasingly, in my view, we spend less and less time going out or indeed going out of our way to meet and speak with people. Perhaps I'm being simplistic by suggesting that from the moment we were able to listen to a radio followed in short order by the television and now computers and telephones, our need to interact with anyone including our nearest neighbours has diminished. Humans are social creatures and one of the reasons that there haven't been more hermits is because we're also curious about what's happening in the world around us. Now the fantasy is touted that you don't have to step outside your front door (or even your bedroom door) for the world to come to you - everything from the clothes on your back to the food you eat to the people you 'virtually' call your friends. I believe this is unhealthy and it horrifies me to watch people (something I enjoy) who literally walk around wearing headphones so they can't hear birdsong or even other people's voices &/or watching their screens so they don't have to note the environment through which they're passing. Live on your own & die on your own will be a reality for an increasing number of people whose neighbours don't know them. That is such a sad epitaph.
Recently in the Cathedral, mercifully, still a screen free hour, I stepped forward to meet a couple who were passing through Rosscarbery. They had met a couple of ladies at the gate & were told they would be welcome to visit. This Dutch couple hadn't been to West Cork previously so it was an opportunity to give them a good memory of West Cork people and welcome. They decided they would like to sit for a while to experience some of the service. When they decided to leave, I told them they would be welcome to West Cork at any time. They gave me a few of their observations:

1. Ireland & West Cork, in particular, is very spiritual!
2. Complete strangers had spoken with them and made them feel welcome!
3. Some Irish churches they had visited, no one spoke with them and just brushed by them! They noted the different congregations where this had occurred.

They are already planning a return visit.
I firmly believe that everyone of us has a responsibility to welcome visitors to the area; to be prepared to step out of our comfort zone to speak with them; to be able to offer information or help if needed. I certainly hope that's the reception I'll get as I visit West Cork and other parts of Ireland.
A smile and a simple 'hello' can make a difference to someone's life especially your own.

“Always find opportunities to make someone smile, and to offer random acts of kindness in everyday life.” 
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart