We're devoted to creating minglespaces in society at public spaces and events. What is a minglespace? It's a place where it is socially acceptable or even expected to walk up to someone and introduce yourself to someone you’ve never met.
Think of a dog park. If you have a dog in a dog park, it is expected to approach others and say hi. The dogs give us permission. Can you think of others? There are surprisingly few Mingle Spaces in society.
In most public spaces, you have to go out of your way to introduce yourself. This is often difficult and takes a special personality to do so, can be awkward, or can make people uncomfortable. Most events, fairs, and public markets, which on the surface bring people together, do not have designated minglespaces. Have you ever gone to an event, such as to watch a performance, either with someone or alone, but didn’t meet anyone outside of the people you came with even though you were hoping to? Then you’ve experienced the need for a minglespace!
Our Vision
We believe more public spaces and event should have designated minglespaces added or built in, making it easier and providing people stress free opportunities to introduce themselves to each other and have a conversation.
Designated minglespaces are places where it is socially acceptable or encouraged to introduce yourself. They are places where people can congregate for the explicit purpose of saying hello to someone new.
Just by having a designated minglespace, your event or public space can become more connection driven! Creating minglespaces is a little thing we can do as a society to tap the potential of hidden connections we could be making more often and reduce loneliness.
Another Example
Think of going to the county fair or a music event. You may have a conversation at one of the booths or vendors. You may run into someone you know and strike up a conversation but the people you meet may be limited to people you already know in town, especially if you are an introvert.
Or more difficult, imagine you come to the event alone and are feeling lonely or introverted. In order to talk to someone, you have to start a conversation or get lucky that someone asks you how it’s going. But what if there was a booth or a place at the fair called the minglespace, centralized and easy for people to get to, where you can go?
The people congregating there all know they’d like to talk with others. We just need to give each other the permission to engage. It’s a simple thing we can do.
More Examples
The Happy to Chat Bench.
The Massachusetts Coalition to Build Community & End Loneliness has created Happy to Chat benches in Boston. By simply adding a sign to the back of some public park and city benches designating them as happy to chat benches, people are given permission to strike up conversations.
Conversation Station of Everyday Boston.
Where people are encouraged to sit down with other passerbys for a 10 minute conversation based on discussion prompt cards.
Libraries.
Libraries and other public buildings can have a designated room as the minglespace, where people can go to have a conversation, almost like an employee break room.
Coffee shops and shared work spaces can have minglespace tables, the place you can sit or hang out in if you are open to conversation with new people.
The list goes on...
Our Mission
Every big event should have opportunities to meet new people built-in with a minglespace. Look for a minglespace sign and you know that’s where you can go to congregate. Let’s create places to make every event inclusive for those lacking connections, new to the city, and those in the depths of loneliness, or those who find it difficult to meet new people.
There is a desire for more public conversation. While not all public spaces in society should be open conversation areas and solitude should be respected, solitude doesn’t need to be idolized. Let’s make friendly conversation the norm with minglespaces, not the exception.
By creating minglespaces, we are not deciding what level of engagement occurs, but we are creating the opportunity and permission to engage. The Social Connection Circle is working with event vendors, organizers, and public departments to create this need. Join us.
In Conclusion
All of these neighborhood activities above can help create the feeling for all that the neighborhood is more than the sum of the houses, apartments, and individuals living in them -- that there is also a source and basis of connection between us. They can help people can let their guard down and be themselves when running into each other and more easily meet each other and say hi, which develops into a sense of trust.
Not only can creating a connected neighborhood lead to feeling safer, less lonely, and have a support network with nearby neighbors in an emergency, it can also lead to new opportunities and neighborhood projects not otherwise possible, and utilize talents and ideas of people living in the community.
It all starts by reaching out to neighbors living on either side of us and across the street and saying hi. Take a small step today in the direction of making your neighborhood feel like living in a part of a bigger family, not just a place you live in
