The Power and Pleasures of Friendship

Sometimes I disappear into the wilderness of Namibia, the sanctuary of solitude or the shapeless innocence of music because the realities of our pitiless world are too heavy, too hard to handle. And other times its the comfort of friends and the balm of friendships, old and new, that save me. 

This picture with my brother-from-another-mother, Tamas (Hungarian/British) was taken recently in Avallon by Leica master Guido (Dutch) at Kinnernet Europe, the annual “unconference” of learning and community hosted by our mutual friend and social scientist, Marc (French) and attended by two hundred other lovely folks from around the world who undoubtedly make it a better place. 

In these divisive and turbulent times it is more important than ever to create compassion and dialog. Reach out to someone completely different than you from another part of the world and spark a new connection. More often than not it will result in enriching information, insight and empathy... and perhaps the inestimable delights of friendship. The world needs more community and camaraderie than hate, rancor and intolerance.