One of the gentlemen in this photo watches for lonely strangers in his city, then invites them to his apartment one evening per week. This is one such gathering.

Humans, since the industrial revolution, and especially when moving to a new city for work, have been far more atomized than they tended to be before. People need other people. In pre-industrial times we got far more of this, and it was generally quite healthy for us. Other people round-off the ragged edges we sometimes form, and keep us in touch with factors outside ourselves. The opinions of others also undercut mass manipulation.

The expectations of others can be difficult for us at times, but being atomized carries a more volatile set of problems. These people have found an organic solution to them.

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So, before going back to the mundane, decide that you’ll watch for lonely strangers, and that you’ll do something for them, even if it is just a kind word. We must notice, and we must act.