Communal Rhythms

We were talking about the Olympics — what events we’ve watched so far and which ones are our favorites. Two people in the group began talking about memorable moments from Winter Olympic games in past decades. We learned that the phrase, “Do you believe in miracles?” came from the U.S. hockey team upset in 1980. We talked about figure skating moments that the whole country seemed to watch at once.

“There’s something lost now. Back then, everyone was watching at the same time. Now you have to have Peacock TV, and people just watch things piecemeal. We’re really missing those communal rhythms.”

And this turned our conversation in a deeper direction.

“We don’t have as many communal moments anymore. And some other versions of them feel overwhelming, like election nights.”

“Yeah, when you think about these last 6-7 years, one of the primary communal rhythms we’ve had is shared trauma. Election nights, insurrections, a pandemic.”

That is a sad thought that we all shared together.

And we also committed ourselves to cultivating the communal rhythms we’re able to make.. The ones that feel life-giving. The ones that bring a sense of connectedness. The ones that feel restful. The ones that are hilarious. Even if it’s only small circles of people at the moment, we need this way of life.

–Renee Roederer