A Nostalgic Reflection on the Fading Bonds of Humanity

My childhood days are probably one of the very best times of my existence. I said that not because I'm having a bad life as an adult, but because some of the mind-blowing things that played out in our world back then seem to have gone extinct now. The world as I knew it while growing up was one of positive interactions, connection, support, generosity, empathy, and, to characterize it all, a sense of community and unity among neighbors. Back then, this left a positive impact on society, but as time passes, the reverse is the case in our world today, and if I were to have the ability to bring something from the past, then the above would definitely be what I'll bring back.

While growing up, the aura of love and genuine affection for one another among neighbors was second to none. I mean, most people do things together in love without letting their nationality, race, ethnic group, religion, and the like create a barrier between their interactions and the need to show genuine human feelings. Although I was young then, I can still relate to everything I see. Its not like the world was 100% perfect then, but then the level of genuine human relations was just exceptional, and such a thing has to come by in the present day.

Back in the day, you could easily, as a child, go to your neighbor's place to watch a movie without them having issues with your race, religion, or political standing; even your parents wouldn't see anything bad in doing that. In fact, to make it clearer, you'll see some parents would even join their kids to visit the neighbor's place just so they could watch a TV series being aired on the television, which they couldn't access probably because they've no electricity or don't even have a TV set.

But that never made anyone feel like they're better than the other, or because of that, look down on the other; in fact, they might even entertain you while you're at their place watching; it's always a thing of love, and the kids even enjoy it because, later, when they're alone playing, you'll hear us talk about the delicious meal our friend's parents prepared and gave us and how we'll make sure our mom does the same when our friend comes visiting.

From being a society of communists, we've transformed into a society of individualists who only care about themselves and themselves alone, not minding what's going on with other people. I think this shouldn't be so because it wasn't so back then. Growing up, if my parents notice our neighbors are struggling to survive or lack one thing or another, you'll see her helping in her little ways, like asking us to take food to them because she wants to hear their opinion about what she cooked. In a real sense, we know shes trying to help without making them feel less of themselves, and the same is done towards us on our arduous days.

But fast forward to the modern day, and acts of genuine love and empathy are missing. Technology has overwhelmed the world to the point where everyone just wants to show off that they are helping, and that's why you see people giving to the less privileged and taking pictures of their acts while giving, which in my opinion makes such receivers less of themselves. You can give without taking photos or publishing them to make people think you're a good person. Let the people you've helped vouch for your generosity.

I remember back then, while growing up, if you saw someone in a critical condition, like an accident, you rushed towards them and tried to help them out. But with the advent of technology, humans in our world today have evolved from being empathetic to clamoring for fame and showing off, and that's why you'll see someone hit by a car. While people around them ought to help, instead they'll bring out their phones and go live on social media to recount what's happening around them to their audience. That's disgusting and a shame, in my opinion.

Over the years, the sense of community has faded away and has been replaced by individualism and the quest for fame and wealth acquisition. The world has revolved from a place of togetherness to a shallow street of isolation; parents now scold their wards for visiting the neighbors or eating at the neighbors; trust is a thing of the past; and now people don't regard one another once there's a difference between them, either in terms of religion, race, or the like.

As the years pass due to the absence of genuine connections, we've seen neighbors who live without any knowledge of one another or are careless about each other. We now almost on a daily basis witness tribalism, racism, religious war, and the like. The differences have brooded into our world, giving room for more criminal activities. I mean, why not? You won't think of hurting someone if you truly love them, but that is now missing in our world. The world, as we used to know it, has become a shadow of itself.

I think it's high time we come back together as a community to bond and show real and genuine connections between ourselves, and this will bring about great positive changes to our world, like reducing the rate of criminal activities, improving our mental health, and reducing the prevalence of antisocial behavior we've got around us. In general, it'll improve the well-being of people and make the world a safe, better, happier, and more cohesive society where we humans not only connect well but also work and look out for the common good of one another.

That's about it for now. I hope you had a good read and see this in the same light as I do. Do leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks for your time, and have a good day.

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