Michael Jackson has been top of the headlines for the last ten days. Dead at the age of 50, a man who seemingly had everything the world could offer, except the security that a relationship with God can bring.
Whilst I was at Exeter University, through his friendship with Uri Geller, he joined the board of Exeter City as a honorary director, which included a visit to the stadium which turbed the city upside down.
It is hard to think of a sadder public figure in recent years. A man who struggled with his identity. He seemed to be a very confused man.
I think my key thought is what would have happened if someone had protected him, parented him, challenged him, loved him, encouraged him to feel secure. As a society, to some degree, we failed him.
We at CitySocialising.com wholeheartedly agree with this along with the Archbishop’s comments yesterday in The Sunday Telegraph that Facebook and MySpace are leading young people to seek “transient” friendships, with quantity becoming more important than quality.
CitySocialising is refreshingly all about “real friends in the real world” and was created to enable people out from behind their computer screens and into the face to face social fire. We know that real world friendships are far more valuable than online friendships and that interacting face-to-face with others is essential for a person’s emotional wellbeing.
Whilst the internet is a great tool to find like minded others and initiate new friend connections, it’s the offline meeting and socialising with these people and a shared history of experiences through which genuine friendships are forged. http://www.citysocialising.com