The Loneliness Epidemic

the flesh covers the bone 
and they put a mind 
in there and 
sometimes a soul, 
and the women break 
vases against the walls 
and the men drink too 
much 
and nobody finds the 
one 
but keep 
looking 
crawling in and out 
of beds. 
flesh covers 
the bone and the 
flesh searches 
for more than 
flesh. 

there’s no chance 
at all: 
we are all trapped 
by a singular 
fate. 

nobody ever finds 
the one. 

the city dumps fill 
the junkyards fill 
the madhouses fill 
the hospitals fill 
the graveyards fill 

nothing else 
fills.

-poem, “Alone With Everybody” by Charles Bukowski

“In the West there is a loneliness, which I call the leprosy of the West. In many ways, it is worse than our poor in Calcutta…We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love.” -Mother Teresa

“Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight – one that can help us live healthier, more fulfilled, and more productive lives. Given the significant health consequences of loneliness and isolation, we must prioritize building social connection the same way we have prioritized other critical public health issues such as tobacco, obesity, and substance use disorders. Together, we can build a country that’s healthier, more resilient, less lonely, and more connected.” -U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy Dept of Health & Human Services Press Release; May 3, 2023

We have an epidemic of loneliness.

Let’s cure it.

How?

Today and every day, let us do whatever we can to help people feel a little less alone.

Reach out to them.

Make that phone call.

Have that coffee.

Schedule that visit. (Or even, just stop by.)

Those seemingly small things go a LONG way.

And for those artists who have something to say and a deep desire to express it, please go make your art.

Because when you do and we experience your art, we’re the better for it. Your art brings us together. Connects us. Fills our hearts. Weaves us together. We realize we’re not alone. Other people think and feel that way too. Aha! Eureka!!