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Sep 14 MY BIRTHDAY, CONVERSATIONS & STRANGERS?Posted by coffeemates | 09/14/07
The words “birthday” and “strangers” don’t mix; we normally celebrate with our nearest, dearest and close friends so I was intrigued by this article on the birthday celebrations of noted academic and author Theodore Zeldin who celebrated his 74th birthday with a roomful of strangers intentionally. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6958227.stm
Everyone who came to his birthday event was required to have a proper conversation with someone they didn’t know. Why? Zeldin’s premise is we cut ourselves off from people except for an ever decreasing group of friends and contacts. He attributes this in part to the pressures of work and family, the break up of the family, cars and technology, plus research shows we lose 1.2 friends a year between the ages of 20 and 40... CATEGORY: Commentary & Debate
TAGS: strangers, isolation, communication, conversation, awareness, 24/7 communication, friendships and distance 
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Coffee MatesSUSAN S. CHEUNG (known to many as Shifay--Chinese middle name.) Welcome to my world. I'm a resident from across the pond who lives in the Capital District. For 13 years, I was all about my career and being successful. Becoming a mother twice in my mid- to late-30s made me take stock. Now my life is a hectic whirl of being a stay-at-home mom of two young children. I face the challenges of being a woman, an older mother, a non-American and a short person! Fortunately, I'm rescued from making too many faux pas by my coffee group (my mates)-- a great bunch of women in different situations of life. We meet in the guise of drinking coffee, but really it's about keeping our sanity intact. My blog is my take on the daily issues that affect us. My aim is to shine a light on the everyday things we take for granted. Come and be part of my coffee group and join in the conversations. POSTSCRIPT: As of JULY 2008, after eight years in Guilderland, we've relocated to Nashville, Tenn., to experience Grand Ole Opry, southern hospitality and my husband’s exciting new job. Read my "Coffee Mates" posts in 2009/2010 on acclimating to southern culture.SubscribeEmail Archives |
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