If you’re a Middle Tennessee resident, March of 2020 is significant not only because of the COVID pandemic–it’s when an Ef-5 tornado touched down and stayed on the ground for over 60 miles.
Anyone who lived in Mt. Juliet during that time period will remember the sudden alarms waking us overnight–perhaps the scramble to the basement or windowless room–and finally, the rumble of the storm followed by silence. My family felt the weight of this tragedy, as the line was less than a mile from our home. In combination with the derecho winds in April, we lost over 30 trees. Many lost more, some even lost their lives.
It was in the surreal stillness in the days following the tornado that Mt. Juliet discovered the strength of its community through connection. Our community’s cooperation is a testament to the spirit that emerges in the face of extreme adversity…like experiencing a devastating storm on the precipice of a global pandemic.
The dichotomy of these two events has never been lost on me: one necessitated isolation and separation, and the other required connection, community, and in-person interaction over the months of cleanup. I met new neighbors at a time when others were losing connection with theirs.
Future studies of how the pandemic affected society will be telling, but we assume some of the outworkings of it: we are more isolated as a people. And yet, this loss of connection wasn’t totally due to COVID-19. In fact, a 2023 report from the Surgeon General found that loneliness had become an epidemic even before the pandemic.
The statistics on loneliness are shocking and troubling. According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Surgeon General, lacking connection results in:
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29% increased risk of heart disease
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32% increased risk of stroke
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50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults.
The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated existing feelings of isolation, and the situation is critical.
Our household knows this severity intimately: as a fitness coach based in Mt. Juliet, my husband works with people who want to live healthier lives—but health isn’t isolated to our physical bodies. Health is holistic: it’s inclusive of body, mind, and soul. He hears stories daily of isolated, lonely folks desperately seeking a healthier life. This is indeed a human crisis.
And what’s the antidote to this dire prognosis? Connected community, it seems. The research is clear: The more connected we are, the happier we are and the healthier we are. It’s not reductive, it’s just statistically true. The Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, is even going so far as to develop an entire national campaign encouraging social interaction to save humanity. Dr. Murthy calls social connectedness “medicine that's hiding in plain sight.” He explains, “It's what we need to take advantage of and to cultivate in this moment where too many people are struggling with loneliness.” (1)
He’s identified the importance of social connection as a means to combat this loneliness epidemic. The kind of connection that we found for ourselves in Middle Tennessee in the aftermath of the storms. As we worked side by side clearing debris, mending roofs, and restoring a semblance of normalcy, a tangible sense of community emerged. In the face of a real threat, we were not alone. Strangers became neighbors, loneliness transformed into camaraderie, and the isolation of the pandemic gave way to a newfound sense of belonging.
Perhaps we will find that our experiences throughout the 2020 storms and pandemic will lead to new ways of living, working, and being. Restaurant owners have adapted to new takeout and delivery methods, churches and community centers have added and maintained online offerings and found new needs in the community, schools have adopted new principles for e-learning, and many of us spend more time at home during work hours. Despite advances in technology and interactions like these, the statistics remain undeniable: we must find ways to connect with others. Even when it’s complex, dynamic, and messy.
My own observations in this season laid the foundation for a new creative project: a podcast born out of a desire to understand and celebrate the threads that bind us. The podcast, titled Niche to Meet You, explores the profound impact hobbies and niche subcultures have on combating our societal loneliness.
It’s easy to assume that hobbies are “little” things–unimportant, silly, frivolous. But many of us find that the “little” things in life are perhaps the most profound of them all. The “little” things that construct meaning and purpose for us don’t just provide health benefits, they remind us that we are all part of a larger whole. When we learn more about other people’s unique interests, we better appreciate the world around us and we can embrace and celebrate our differences. We find belonging in a sea of loneliness. I’ve learned that hobbies–like tabletop war games transformed into Amazon film franchises, portraying Santa, and dog sledding–not only enrich our individual experiences but also foster connection among diverse communities. It’s a reminder that, just as Nashville emerged from the debris stronger and more connected, so too can individuals find solace in the shared passions that weave them together.
Undoubtedly, the things we all learned in 2020 will lead to new ways of connectedness as we navigate the complexities of a society that, at times, feels adrift. The Surgeon General is issuing a call for societal change. He’s urging public forums, spaces, and influencers to encourage connection in real, physical ways that change the world.
But that change isn’t just for our individual selves: it certainly starts there, but it should ultimately spread. Dr. Murthy even mentions community service as one of the most powerful ways to combat loneliness. Our lives and health depend on understanding that we are not alone in this world and that we all matter. I’ve seen this to be true while I’ve worked on my podcast, as episodes and featured stories not only reflect the transformative power of shared interests–and the potential for hobbies to become catalysts for understanding, appreciation, and connection–but explore how that connectedness helps others.
For example, in meeting folks who portray Santa and Mrs. Claus, I learned that the actual involvement in the hobby (for many, the profession!) is useless on its own–it’s only fulfilling because it helps others by bringing joy and hope to those who are in desperate need of it. Because of this, the Niche to Meet You podcast encourages connectedness one step further by partnering with a local nonprofit, My Bag, My Story, to provide bags for children in foster care who would otherwise carry their belongings in plastic bags. What good is personal health experienced in a vacuum?
Isolation is not good for us, but there is hope beyond our loneliness. Hope like what was found in 2020 in our own town as we served our neighbors selflessly. Strangers with skid-steers appeared at our house to carry logs to the pile of brush on our cul-de-sac, volunteers were sent out in droves.
In my reflection on the last two years while researching for this podcast, I found an op-ed in the Washington Post written by Danté Stewart, whose search for connection led him to a similar conclusion—that despite our bend toward individualism, we have no better weapon to fight isolation than ourselves. Stewart puts it beautifully here: “I’ve come to believe that being together — in a coffee shop, at a concert, in a church, at a bar, outside, inside, day, night — is one of the greatest tools of our resistance and defense…It is the people. It has always been the people.” (2)
In celebrating our differences and embracing the common threads that bind us, we can move beyond the wreckage of storms and disease, toward a future defined by connection, understanding, and the shared joy of being part of something greater than ourselves.
(1)https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1173418268 (2)https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/16/dante-stewart-post-pandemic-covid-loneliness-coffeeshop/
Leslie Thompson is a multifaceted podcast producer, writer, and creative media consultant based in Mt. Juliet. Leslie’s latest podcast, Niche to Meet You, explores little-known hobbies and niche subcultures (www.nichetomeetyou.show).
The more connected we are, the happier we are and the healthier we are. It’s not reductive, it’s just statistically true.
We must find ways to connect with others. Even when it’s complex, dynamic, and messy.