The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-01-09
RUBBING ELBOWS WITH LIFE.

That a great deal of valuable time is
wasted by people in idle gossip and useless
social distractions is fact too obvious to
admit of argument. Yet to keep our lives
normal and thoroughly sane we need fire.
uuent contact with people about US. Be-
tween the two extremes of frittering away
the hours in purposeless chatter and living
the life of recluse, there is happy
medium that it should be our purpose to
follow.
The person who sets himself apart in
social isolation is UNNECESSARILY the loser.
He loses contact with the breathing, NOV
ing world, and knowledge of what is going
on in it. He loses friends, he loses a cheer
full humor, he loses his hold on life itself.
1t is not good for a person to be too much
alone. A good heart wants something to
unfold itself to; and the best parts OF our
blood and the purest OF our spirits suffer
most under the restitution,
No man can be normal who does not
see much of his own kind. The hermit's
mental growth is warped and stunted. He
becomes selfish and obstinate, for he needs,
as all need to be occasionally contradict
ed, to hear another voice than his own.
No one is strong enough to find within him
self the means wherein to live a complete
existence.
The contact of mind and mind produces
new and higher standards OF measurement
and Judgment. And it is only by mingling
in the society of others-of the right kind,
of course-that this contact can be effect
ed. AS an able writer has said, society is
"the arena where character is formed and
studied the cradle and the realm of public
opinion, the crucible of ideas, the worlds
university" Surely it is the duty Of all
to take this university course.
The disdainful aloofness of the recluse
who does not hide the fact is to be con-
demned. 1t is very true that one cannot
without loss, live all his life in the lives
of others; one must find time and place
for occasional solitude. But solitude to be
wholesome must be very like abstinence
after hearty meal; the true life of man is
in society.
Between giving everything to the worlo
and giving nothing to it there is an inter.
mediate attitude that ought to be taken
We owe it to ourselves to have friends ane
to play the part of citizens in great world
1t is not desirable that one should achieve
the reputation of being ''good SPORT Of
frivolous devotee of social amusements
But it is desirable that one should not bt
merely a solo performer playing disma
tunes about the worlds vanity.
The secret of success in social inter
course is certain heartiness and sympa
thy. A person who is not happy in thu
company of others cannot find any wore
in his memory that will fit the occasion
One who is happy there finds in every TURF
of the conversation occasions for the in
PRODUCTION of what he has to say.
To come into stimulating contact will
the minds and souls of others one must no
expect them to 60 in search of him, bu
must put himself in the way of meeting
them. Many persons are enthusiastic AM
impulsive; others are diffident and requir
to be drawn out" 1t should be the effor
of the former to make the diffident feel a
ease, so that they can enjoy the communi
cative delight of social intercourse.
By communicating our pleasures we hav
more of them: by communicating our grie
we have less. And by talking with other
we acquire habit Of propriety. In ever,
way it is good to rub elbows with the world