There are invisible people all around us. We might see them as we pass but we don’t SEE them.
At school, in the workplace, at the cafe, in a family… They are everywhere!
What makes someone invisible? Is it just in their own heads or is it as real for them as it was for Harry Potter whilst wearing the invisibility cloak?
I think the latter. In my work as a counsellor and coach, I come across people who feel on the outside of society and not seen. They are not noticed, not paid attention to and just ignored. What a horrible feeling that must be!
There is one client in particular that I have never forgotten. He was a man in his mid-20s and living in a bedsit. He said he had never been seen by his family and would just spend the time at home in his room, gaming and smoking weed. No interaction, no ‘How are you?’ or ‘Would you like dinner?’ Nothing. He said that no one cared and he might as well be invisible.
As a parent, that made me so sad for this lost boy. He needed love and attention in his life. That goes a long way to enable growing up.
There are of course lots of more people who feel like this and never seek help. The elderly in our country is a big group where isolation and loneliness is a big problem.
Why is this? What can we do to help?
This is where being a human and noticing others around us can help. Is there a child that rarely gets to play or get spoken to in your child’s class? Can your child engage with him or her?
Are there people in the office who rarely talk and engage with the rest? Why is that? Have you tried to connect?
In the adult world, we easily and often make assumptions and pass judgement on others without actually knowing them. Can this be the case with some of your work colleagues?
Inclusion is vital in the workplace and all around us.
Become aware of the people around us and be inclusive. Maybe there is a new friend nearby!
