My family is hosting an exchange student from Bolivia as part of the Rotary Exchange Program.

David is a fun, out-going young man who seems to have made the seamless switch from his

home of two million people in South America to McCook and its slightly smaller population.

Even though he is thousands of miles from home, he is able to stay easily connected with his

family, texting his sister happy birthday last week and calling his parents for a document needed

once he arrived.

After all, it is easier than ever to stay connected in this day and age thanks to digital technology

improvements. In theory we are better connected than ever, but it is all very surface level.

While we may feel like we may know what is going on, ironically we are more isolated than ever

before. We choose to stay home and stare at a screen, sharing a picture or a comment, and call

that socialization.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In previous generations, you invited people over to your house and turned on the slide-show

projector to share pictures of your recent vacation. There was likely drinks, food and laughing.

Now, all those pictures are online for everyone to see and everyone feels like they know each

other. But there is something missing.

The interaction. The socialization. The really getting to know each other part.

There is no bonding over how the flight was so bumpy you spilled your drink all over your new

Hawaiian floral shirt. There is no commiserating because it rained the entire trip so you just sat

in your hotel. There is no lamenting because you lost your luggage and had to wear that same

floral shirt the entire trip.

We are social creatures and there is something to be said for just getting together and just being

around other people.

Gathering together is something we are losing from our communities, whether it is at the Senior

Center for lunch over the noon hour or the weekly evening meals at the Methodist Church.

People are staying home more and more.

Just look at the high school football games. When I first moved to McCook, the stands were

packed. It was hard to find an open seat because everyone went to the game, whether they had

someone playing in the game or not. It was the place to be every Friday night.

And then things have changed. A big shift came during Covid and the games were streamed to

keep everyone safe. It was also beneficial because grandma three states away could watch

from her nursing home on her computer.

Unfortunately, that shift to watching from home rather than the field did not swing back.

Attendance is still down. While I don’t have any football players in my family, I’m regularly at the

games with the senior celebration committee selling concessions. And there are simply fewer

people in the grandstands. And it is easier and it is fun to sit at home with a drink in hand and

watch the game, it isn’t the same.

There isn’t the huddling next to your hubby on a chilly evening game. There isn’t standing next

to the fence talking to your high school buddy who is back for the weekend. There isn’t

supporting the school clubs selling concessions.

It does take effort to load up in the car and drive to an event or bundle up in an extra jacket to

walk to the game. But rarely does someone regret something they did do; rather they regret

what they didn’t do.

There are lots of opportunities in the next month to get out and socialize, to connect with others

in your community.

There is likely a local football game. McCook’s next home game is Sept. 12 and it will be cheer

camp, so there will be lots of little girls with sparkles and ponytails bouncing around on the field.

McCook’s Heritage Days kicks off Sept. 17 with the mixer at MNB Bank. The September Third

Thursday on Sept. 18 features a free meal on Norris Avenue as a “Come to the Table” to

encourage putting down your phone and enjoying a meal with others.

And there are numerous other events throughout the weekend organized by Sarah and the

McCook Chamber to make for a fun event.

Even just wandering around the farmer’s markets, whether on Saturday in the Goodwill parking

lot or Thursday nights at the East First parking lot, is a social outing. You can get a few

tomatoes and peppers, while catching up with your neighbor about their week.

It does take effort to be more social and to stay connected. But ultimately, our communities will

be better in the long run if we know our neighbors better and if we are able to have meaningful

conversations with our friends.