Recently when having lunch with a friend at a very busy restaurant in Brisbane, our waitress offered us the choice of sharing a table with some other patrons. While it was not ideal we agreed and sat down at this shared table. Given the choice we probably wouldn’t have shared a table with anyone.

We had our lunch with absolutely no dramas at all. It was kind of liberating to be seated next to strangers. Many different conversations were taking place. Many different dishes arrived. People came and went. We had all come for some yummy food. We all needed a seat. So why not share? Why isn’t this something we naturally do?

I think part of the problem is that we have it so good here in Australia - Brisbane especially. We have loads of personal space. Parking is not a problem. Traffic is minimal. Commutes are short. I wonder if we have become victims of our cushy lives?

Another example is seating on the train. Commuters often choose to either sit in an empty two seater or to stand, rather than sharing a seat with someone else. The train is full of half empty seats with loads of people standing. This would never happen in a third-world country. Again I blame this, which I myself am guilty of, on our rather cushy life. If we have ten times more people on the train, there’d be a mad rush to share any seat in sight. Maybe we need more people on the train. Or less trains. I wonder if strife creates a more caring society?

Don’t get me wrong. I am happy that life in Brissy is so nice. I just don’t want to forget to connect with society when the opportunity arises.