By Bobbi Cohen
SAN DIEGO — Five years ago in San Francisco, an experienced psychotherapist, Traci Rubles, was inspired to help people increase their connections to one another. Noting the importance of personal connections to good mental health, she decided to go out on the sidewalk and invite people to sit and talk while she provided heartfelt listening. Since that time, Sidewalk Talk has flourished and is now in 92 cities around the world.
I retired from my full time position as a Clinical Supervisor for an Outpatient Psychiatric facility and began searching for a meaningful volunteer endeavor in which I could give back to the community. I think it was bashert that I chose to watch a recorded episode of CBS Sunday Morning that included a portion focused on an interview with Traci Ruble and her Sidewalk Talk Project. I was impressed with this concept and the results Traci had experienced on the sidewalk and thought: “This is it. This is how I want to dedicate my time as a volunteer in San Diego.” I discovered that San Diego did not have a chapter of Sidewalk Talk and applied to be the city leader here and launch a chapter.
San Diego now has a team of six listeners and we have had four monthly events, three at the waterfront adjacent to the Administration Building, and one in Old Town. People have shared personal family conflicts, environmental concerns, descriptions of their passion for their jobs, travels related to their military experience as well as general conversation. We have met local folks as well as tourists visiting San Diego. Hopefully these connections have resulted in people feeling cared about and have given them a moment of focused, heartfelt attention. Many people stop and ask us what we are about, and even though they do not sit and talk, they provide positive comments about this project and how important they think this is in view of the isolation of so many people today.
We are hoping to have an event at SDSU and continue to search for the best place for us settle. Our experiences connecting to people have been enlightening and personally rewarding. Personally, this endeavor pushed me outside my comfort zone and has been gratifying, rewarding and an example that one is never too old to embark on a new and different endeavor.
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Bobbi Cohen may be reached via Sidewalk Talk at (619) 265-0606, or via this email.