Community
What does "Community" mean to you?
Is it as small as a family? Is it as large as the planet? Maybe a group of like-minded people? Does community have a purpose? A goal? Does it come with responsibility? Rights?
At the end of this year, 2024, community is on my mind a lot. Leaving my friends and family and workplace in Montana and moving to a tiny town in California has shown me a lot about community. For one thing, it's not immutable, it has no boundaries. Even though we no longer live in Montana, there are people there that will always be a part of my community no matter where in the world I am.
Building a new community takes a lot of effort, but humans need humans, so the effort is worth it. I like to think of community as a kind of Venn diagram. I am part of many different communities - my home and its occupants, my former spouse and his family, my best friend and her wife, the many people in many capacities in the art community of my home town. My new art community and my kid's school are new communities that are growing. Community is you, spending time here with me, and me reaching out to connect with you, whether you are reading this as a newsletter or on my blog. I also have an online community with people I've met on social media or through Etsy, or even here on my website. Some of these overlap, and some don't so much but that link is made through me.
I believe that being part of community is more than knowing people. It means showing up, extending a hand, being accountable. Community is just as much a verb as a noun. Interaction is a requirement.
As we head into the new year, I hope to be able to continue to grow my community, share time and resources with others, but most importantly, build and grow relationships. And maybe that's it. Maybe that is really all community is. Relationships that span more than space and time.
