Of the five freelance articles I’m working on this week, one of them is decidedly the most fun because it has led me to the kind of research I enjoy: Learning about what gives us a sense of well-being. And according to one Canadian think tank I read about, we’re happiest when we feel part of a group, like a social club or a small community.
That sense of belonging pays off when it comes to good turns. Need a lift to the store, a piece of advice, a cup of sugar? I’ve benefited from all three in my close-knit neighbourhood.
Most recently, I needed to get my hands on a chainsaw. Or rather, I needed someone else who was willing to wield a chainsaw while I provided freshly baked muffins, which is more my line.
Almost immediately after emailing a request to all the neighbours, I had five different offers of help. Turns out that within a tight radius of our house there’s a range of axes, saws, chainsaws, mini-chainsaws and nonspecific “manly tools” that could be applied to the job.
Makes you consider just a tiny bit what’s lurking under the mild façade of suburbia. Really, who needs so many sharp objects and why? (When I made this comment to my husband, he went on the defensive: “We have things to cut! We need hatchets and knives and saws – you’re making us sound weird!”) Mostly, though, I’m just grateful for belonging.
Enjoy the weekend! Mine’s kicking off with a few cocktails with almost a dozen friends in my above-mentioned close-knit neighbourhood. Let’s just hope they leave the power tools at home.
50 Good Deeds 