Over the years, the dynamics of a society have changed a lot; initially a society was a group of people who literally lived in the same area and, because of their living together, their values and ways of life turned out to be the same. These societies or groups of people also lived almost in isolation from other groups as the distance between groups would be so vast that communication and visits between the groups would not be easy.
So people were forced to be social with their neighbours because there was no other option. This setup turned up very beneficial to families and individuals because people were not reluctant to help each other out through life’s ups and downs, when one family had shortage and lack they would not hesitate to ask for help from the neighbouring family because sharing and being there for one another was of great value.
If there was a ceremony such as a wedding or a funeral, people would be there for each other as well. Being present and willing to help at somebody’s time of need was a means of trade; it bought you the same kind of help and support in advance such that when your time of need came you were sure of maximum help and support.
Currently things are very different, societies are not necessarily made up of people who live in the same area; people can live very far from one another and still be part of one society and this is because travelling and communicating is very easy compared to back in the days. People can even be in more than one society if they want to, because of how easy travelling and communicating is today so one would have thought that the ease in travelling and communicating would encourage people to capitalise more from the benefits of a society, but it is not so.
Because of how easy it has become to choose which social group one wants to be part of, people have forgotten the importance of being in good social terms with their neighbours. No matter how close one gets with different social groups, it is not a reason enough to neglect being in good social terms with one’s neighbours.
We need to be able to quickly ask for help from our neighbours when we need it and have someone look over our homes when we are away, and many other benefits. People no longer see the need to know and spend some time with their neighbours; they don’t even know each other’s names, which is such a pity.
I feel like the elderly generation neglected to brief us on the importance of being an active member of a society and maybe it is because money has taken over as a means of trade, instead of someone’s presence and help at another’s ceremony being the means of trade that will guarantee them help when the time comes, money is what guarantees people help when the time comes.
People can easily pay for their weddings and other occasions to be taken care of by professionals without relying on the help of a society but one should realise that money cannot buy you the presence and warmth of loving and caring friends.
There are ample opportunities to be part of meaningful societies, societies that still carry the original values of a society, societies that make you feel like you belong.
I came across such a society a few weeks back when I was invited to a bridal shower. The shower was organised by a society of young women one of whom was getting married and they went all out to make the day beautiful for her.
I also experienced a good example of a society at a certain church, when a member has a wedding everybody becomes hands on and helps out and if there is no need for everyone to be hands on such as when professional catering companies are hired then the bride and groom will be sure of the presence of warm and loving friends at their wedding.
A few months ago, I got a message from someone I had last seen a long time ago in year 2001 and she wanted me to contribute some money and help organise her baby shower, I figured out that it must be because she does not have a society she actively belongs to so a time came when she needed people to support her so she ended up having to ask for help from people she knew over ten years ago.
This just shows that no matter how modern and sophisticated we get, we still need that simple form of society and its benefits. We all need to belong to another group of people other than our family, a people that will be there for you when your family cannot be there or a people that will complement the efforts of your family.
