We often think of states of "flow" as occurring while focused in a sports game or immersed in the creation of music or art, but can flow arise in small, everyday interactions? This week's stories invite us to look at tremendous yet "ordinary" instances of social emergence -- the kind that happens when the boundary between self and others blur into a deeper sense of solidarity and interconnection. From a woman who responds to losing her job by feeding others, to volunteers who literally read books to animals, to a plumber who drove across country to help strangers with burst water pipes, and so much more -- perhaps tuning into a state of flow involves not so much one's level of genius, but an everyday capacity to open our hearts.
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Emily Leshner | AP Photo
Like millions of others, during the pandemic, Sofia Moncayo was furloughed from her job. She and her husband also owe five months of rent for their martial arts studio in their New York City neighborhood. But that didn't stop her from supporting others. In March 2020, a food distribution sprang up in Sunnyside neighborhood's Mosaic West Queens Church. A month later, Moncayo took the reins and expanded it to serve hundreds of people. Through the program, dozens of volunteers distribute more than 1,000 boxes of food to families twice a week. "I think helping others has to do something to your brain chemically because if we had not being doing everything that we’re doing, I think this would have been a much scarier time,” she said. “Being able to dig in and help others, it really gives you perspective and helps you believe that you’re going to be OK too.”
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Volunteer, Nicky Peters, reads to animals at Edgar's Mission.
It started a few years ago, in Australia, with two goats. They were "probably the most frightened goats I'd ever seen," recalled Pam Ahern, founder of Edgar's Mission, a rustic sanctuary that is home to 432 formerly homeless, abused, injured or abandoned animals. The goats "were climbing the barn walls to get away from us. It's always the way with animals that come through here: we can treat their physical wounds, but psychological damage is much harder to fix. Having heard of a reading program that treated anxiety in dogs, she decided to begin reading to the goats in a calm tone of voice while avoiding direct eye contact. After several weeks, the goats began initiating interactions with Ahern, and eventually, they settled into another property in Flinders. Ahern then put a call for reading volunteers on social media, and the reading program was born.
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Kisha Pinnock, ESQ. via CNN
Andrew Mitchell, his wife and their 2-year-old son, drove 22 hours from their home in Morristown, N.J., to fix burst pipes for residents of Houston. Plumbers in Houston have been overwhelmed since a winter storm wreaked havoc in many parts of the state last month. Before leaving the northeast, Mitchell loaded up his truck with supplies, posted about his services on social media and came to the aid of many who were left without running water. "I think that we made a difference, for sure," Mitchell's wife, Kisha Pinnock, told CNN.
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Krystyna Paszko via BBC
Last April, Krystyna Paszko was increasingly distraught to learn about rising domestic violence during the coronavirus lockdown. So the then-17-year-old launched a fake online store to offer a lifeline for victims trapped in their homes. The idea has won the European Union's Civil Solidarity Prize, a one-time contest awarding 10,000 (about $12,100) to organizations addressing consequences of Covid-19. "Firstly, I heard about the increase in domestic violence cases during the pandemic. Then I heard about a French initiative, where people go to the pharmacy and ask for a special mask that lets the pharmacist know they are a victim of domestic violence," Paszko described. "I thought it was a brilliant idea, so I came up with the idea of selling cosmetics." When a victim writes asking to buy a cream, a psychologist, instead of a salesperson, responds, asking how long the 'skin problems' have been going on, and how the skin reacts to alcohol. If someone places an order with an address, it is code for asking authorities to visit their home. Since its launch, more than 350 people have contacted the website. Most victims are under 40 years old, and 10 percent are male, most of them teenagers. "I thought it would only be for my friends and friends of friends. I thought I would help maybe one person or two, but the shares on Facebook were big, and it became really popular," Paszko said.
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Jacqueline Teague and Amelie Beck via CNN
Cousins Jacqueline Teague and Amelie Beck are juggling hybrid learning, extracurricular activities and now a volunteer project helping seniors in Kentucky get Covid-19 vaccine appointments. After helping their grandparents get the vaccine in Louisville, the pair knew there were other seniors in their community who would benefit from a helping hand. So far, they have helped 400 seniors register to get their vaccine with Norton Healthcare Hospital network. With a private Facebook page and a phone line that seniors needing assistance can call, the two say the calls are pouring in and they won't stop until the requests come to a halt.
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