The Medicine of Micro-Connections: How Shopping Local Can Improve Your Happiness
By: Guest Blogger Azahna Luschen
Public Relations Major, Carthage College ’27
My mom lives nine hours away from Kenosha, but every time she walks into Anna’s on the
Lake, the owner greets her by name.
“No coffee shop in my hometown even knows my name,” she always tells me, beaming.
She isn’t known because she’s there every morning — she only visits a few times a year when
she comes to see me at college. But something about the way she connects with people, even
briefly, sticks. My mom was a teacher and is now a pastor and hospice chaplain. Seeing and
connecting with people is her greatest gift.
But connecting with others isn’t reserved for extroverts or people who consider themselves good
at small talk. It’s a fundamental human need. A May 2024 national survey by Making Caring
Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, found that more than 21% of
U.S. adults report feeling lonely frequently or almost all the time.
Technology often takes the blame, but another contributor may be our growing obsession with
convenience. We’ve become experts at efficiency —groceries dropped on the porch, coffee
ordered from an app, prescriptions refilled online. In the process, we’ve filtered out the most
human part of our day: each other.
Micro-connections are the tiny, low-stakes moments of recognition that stitch our days together.
This includes smiling and making eye contact with someone as you pass them on the sidewalk,
chatting with the person behind the counter at the grocery store, or sharing a few words with
your neighbor. These interactions release oxytocin and increase our sense of feeling socially
connected. And according to Dr. Sue Varma, a psychologist who specializes in the science of
optimism, micro-connections are one of the easiest ways to feel happier on a daily basis.
Every Saturday, I find myself back at the Kenosha Harbor Market. I love to get fruit from Wayne
Miller Orchard’s stand, and I know whoever is working at Colleen Gallagher’s Irish Soda Bread’s
table always makes me laugh. Both of these businesses give out free samples, which doesn’t
hurt either.
Beyond the vendors, I know I’ll make eye contact with someone and smile in recognition of how
cute their puppy is. I’ll hear a local musician serenading the crowd and smile at the bikers I pass
as I walk the harbor.
There are micro-connections to be found in grocery stores and chain restaurants, but the beauty
of shopping locally is that people want to connect with you. The barista at The Buzz
compliments your jacket. The cooks at Frank’s Diner crack jokes while sliding plates down the
counter, and before you know it, you’re laughing with the stranger beside you. After a hot
afternoon at Simmons Island Beach, you find yourself at Scoops Ice Cream & Candy, tasting
samples and telling the person next to you, “That one’s really good.”
Shopping local offers more than transactions — it offers community. My mom’s connection to Anna’s on the Lake didn’t come from just grabbing coffee. When she asks for menu customizations for my little sister, who can’t eat solid food for medical reasons, the staff always responds with genuine understanding and care. Our family has stayed in Anna’s beautiful upstairs Airbnb, and formed core memories filled with harbor views, nourishing food, and warm lattes from downstairs.
When my mom sent her daughter off to college in Kenosha, she didn’t know anything about the town or anyone in it. The simple choice to go to a local coffee shop and stay in a local Airbnb gave her a chance to feel connected not only to this city, but to me.
In a time when loneliness is classified as a public health crisis, Kenosha’s small businesses might just be part of the cure. Next time you’re tempted to click “order again,” maybe stop by that local spot instead. Say hello. Ask a question. Learn a name. These moments may seem small, but they stack up — building confidence, happiness, and a sense of belonging that no delivery driver can hand you. And Kenosha, with its local markets and people who truly embody ‘Midwest nice’, is the perfect place to start.
