At Home League (Ladies Meeting) which I led at Barking Salvation Army - I called the afternoon 'The Sound of Music' and we, as a group, discussed our favourite songs/hymns/pieces of music/composers and the reasons, memories of people, places linked with each choice.
One of the ladies who is well into her 70's early 80's is always and I mean 'always' singing to herself and I mentioned this and she replied 'Well I live on my own and sometimes I don't see anyone all day to talk too so I sing so that I can hear a voice'. Sometimes there are those moments when someone elses world shakes your own and that was a moment. In fact it took me back many years to another time and place and to another Home League when I was challenged in the same way by another lady. I remember mentioning how it annoyed me that Nigel & Karl always put the TV on and had it has a background noise and this lady said to me "I leave my television on so that when I come home I can hear a voice as I enter through the door".
Lonliness is major issue in today's society and you don't have to be elderly to be lonely - lonliness does not recognize age, class or race. With all the modern technology at our fingertips like telephones, mobiles, emails, texts we still do not communitcate meaningfully or simply spend quality time with each other as we should.
There used to be a TV advert a few years ago, I think it was for BT, with the slogan 'It's good to talk' - well these days I have learnt that it is 'good to talk' and do have a tendency to talk to anyone anywhere!! much to my son's amusement on occasions. Once he said to me 'Mum do you know that person?' and I replied 'No, but I do now'
So the next time you're walking down the street, standing at the bus stop, in a que at the supermarket just smile at someone and say 'hello' - you never know that person could just be waiting to hear someone's voice.
You can watch the BT advert on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ac8KL838jw