I just read an interesting article that made this point: Although we have more ways than ever before to reach people, many of us remain lonelier than ever.

The author pointed out that loneliness is now an epidemic that affects all ages. It’s more than a state of mind, he said. Loneliness can bring on illness, hasten cognitive decline and cut down on our longevity. It’s a significant problem.

Many of us don’t admit we’re lonely. We’ll admit to having a physical ailment but we’re reluctant to tell others we’re suffering from loneliness.

Coincidentally, I just had a call from a treasured friend who admitted she was “dying of loneliness.”

She lives in a nice apartment building and we’re told residents there are friendly and helpful.

Yet my friend doesn’t talk to her neighbors. “I don’t bother. I stick to myself,” she said.

She doesn’t understand that’s why she’s dying from loneliness.

For years I’ve been encouraging her to enlarge her circle.

I kept telling my friend she needed to have more than just me and her husband in her life. I worried she wouldn’t be able to cope when he died.

Sure enough, that’s what happened when her husband died and I moved to Florida. She has one big lonely void she can’t fill.

Many of us build our own prisons by our limiting our social contacts. And we’re not even aware we’re doing it.

So many times we lose friends through circumstances we can’t control. Our friends move away, die or go on to other pastures.

The older we are, the harder it is to replace friends.

Yet, some throw friends away.

If they don’t agree with someone’s political opinion they demonize then and scissor them out of their life.

That attitude is getting far too common.

Have we lost our tolerance for different views other than our own?

In talking with a group of fellows in their 20s and 30s, I asked if they could be friends with those who hold different politician views. Not really, they said.

I believe every time we cut someone out of our life we become more isolated, and so do they.

Even the good improvements in our life — the home improvements most people enjoy — help to isolate us.

Think about years ago when extended families crowded together in shared small spaces. It was common for kids to share a bedroom. As our homes got bigger we gained more space, more privacy.

The move toward more privacy came with the price tag of isolating us.

Remember a time before air conditioning? Many homes had big porches where family members congregated.

I remember my favorite time was after dinner when I could sit on the porch with my husband and daughters, talking together and solving our little problems. We had a corner home with a big wraparound porch, making it easy for those walking by or driving to see us. I enjoyed the way friends often stopped to chat.

Today, do you still see many people sitting on the porch? Or dropping by?

Air conditioning and big homes set far apart changed our lives by isolating us.

Instead of socializing outside with neighbors, we lower our garage door and enjoy the air-conditioned comfort out of sight of any neighbors.

Few people drop in today. Social visits are welcomed but we have what I call “friendship by appointment.”

Dog walkers occasionally stop to pass a few words, but those who want to visit call first.

I miss the spontaneity. But my friends say calling before you visit is not only polite, it’s necessary.

A friend of mine said there are often days when she doesn’t hear the sound of her own voice because there is no one to talk to.

England appears to be way ahead of us in trying to solve pervasive loneliness. First it created the Ministry of Loneliness to counter the social isolation in the country, especially among younger people.

The ministry has implemented some unique programs, including one I love called Chatty Benches. Throughout U.K. towns have Chatty Benches to encourage people to connect with one another.

The idea is to sit on one of the specifically marked yellow benches if you want to chat.

Someone else who wants to chat can then join you.

“Once you get people talking magic happens” said one official. “It brings people together. A little chat can make your day better.”

You don’t have to stress about what to say because some of the sites offer conversation starters.

The program now has over 700 locations in London.

Great Britain also hired people to serve as “connectors,” bringing the community together by encouraging people to work together on projects.

Britain’s commitment to help end social isolation remains strong.

I think we need some of that commitment.

One friend tells the story about being so lonely that she deliberately parked her supermarket cart to block the aisle. “When some tried to get by I told them how lonely I was,” she said.

I offered to go with her to senior activity centers and to exercise classes at our gyms. That’s when I discovered our county has yet to reopen centers that have been closed for several years because of COVID-19.

Maybe we need to follow England’s example and put more thought into combating social isolation.

Email Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcastnet