Hello Neighbor, Let's Be Friends

I’ve taken to asking friends and acquaintances, “Are all of our social needs being met?” Even folks who are quite socially active and people with a go-to cohort of friends are likely to pause, reflect, and respond, “no, not entirely.” 

Humans are profoundly social animals, with a wide variety of social needs. For example, I actively seek out friends with whom to connect about my love of food, which are not necessarily the same folks with whom I connect on my love of music. I’ve gone through seasons of life where those needs were met to varying degrees of success. 

Social wellness is a barometer of health not to be ignored or discounted. One thing I often tout about the joys of life on the edge of the Wilderness in Ely is the vibrant quality of our social scene – so many opportunities to go out and about, see and be seen. Given the small footprint of our town and activity-oriented nature of the culture up here, we benefit from “the mere exposure effect” and propinquity. But our nearness in place and time, and the frequency with which we see each other around town are not sufficient on their own to create close friendships with the exact qualities we seek. 

Boundary Waters Connect is teaming up with our Hello Neighbor program sponsor Potluck Kitchenware and the Ely Folk School to host a program called Hello Neighbor, Let’s Be Friends. This hybrid social mixer and class is an invitation to join us in conversation about friends and friendship. We’ll explore what the word “friend” even means, consider the trials and tribulations associated with developing new friendships, and discuss best practices according to researchers who specialize in making friends as adults. 

I invite you to join us on Thursday, April 23 from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the Ely Folk School. Dinner and beverages will be provided. We encourage attendees to register in advance. We would be happy to waive the $10 registration fee if cost is a barrier to engagement. Email Jess (jess@boundarywatersconnect.org) for scholarship details.