Bernie Rabik: What has happened to the glue which holds us together?
Think! Think! Think! While recovering from recent knee replacement surgery, I’ve done my share of “Think!” My thoughts have been assigned to glue.
The “glue.” What a simple, clear, and critically important concept. “Glue” is what holds things together. With an object, it’s literally the sticky substance that binds one piece to another. In our lives, on the other hand, the “glue” is the stuff that binds together our families, our friendships, and our intimate relationships. It’s the energetic connection that holds people together in companies, organizations, societies and countries. The question is: What is it?
The “glue” that initially brings people together might be a belief in what they are doing together. Or it might be a set of values or a shared experience. Or perhaps it’s a strong attraction or admiration that they can’t explain. It’s just there.
However, as time goes on, the project, mission, or attraction alone will not be enough. The glue that comes out of a tube and holds us together eventually dries up and needs to be renewed. And so it is in our relationships, in our families, in our communities, and in our companies. When we don’t pay attention to the “glue”― when we don’t take care of what holds us together ― over time, it will begin to dry up and crack. And things will start to break apart.
The metaphor of “tending the garden,” is applicable. It’s about taking care of the culture or environment within which we live and work.
What is the “glue” that holds your life together? What is the glue within your company, your team or your organization or community? And where is the “glue” asking for attention?
Bernard Rabik, a Hopewell Township attorney, is a columnist for The Times.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Rabik: What has happened to the glue which holds us together?
