Who knows the patterns of community?
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]I’ve been inspired more and more to write these days. I think I’ve felt this way for a few reasons.
First, life isn’t getting any shorter. In fact, every day I live I feel time going by faster and faster, and this knowledge, these experiences, and these observations I have are getting lost because I’m not sharing them.
Second, the last two podcasts I randomly happened upon looking for inspiration both recommended finding your PASSION as goal. I’ve always felt most at home with words, although I’ve had my hand at sports and music. I think I’ll find my passion much faster by engaging in a conversation with you, lucky reader (hopefully), about what inspires me, excites, me and generally gets my heart thumping. Thanks, Universe! I think I got the message.
Third, I’m ready to be in active contribution to my community. There’s been so much said on airwaves I’ve created, but they weren’t my voice. I’ve spent countless hours organizing, planning, and creating spaces for others. Make no doubt, I’ve absolutely loved performing these acts of service. However, rather than create a platform for someone else, now I’m going to take a chance and put myself out there. Look out!
Fourth, although lists are fun and engaging, I’m pretty sure I’m done with this list. It’s really more for myself than anyone else. I’m memorializing why I’m choosing to spend more time writing and creating for my own self-motivation more than anything.
Now that’s outta the way…I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what is the structure of community. What are the patterns that you find in every healthy, functioning community (terms to be defined as we go)? Here are a few I’ve developed, feel free to add to the list:
- Shared Dinner (that is, shared in preparing, eating, and cleaning up)
- Grandmother—not necessarily an old woman, but definitely the wise woman teaching emotional resilience, patience, love, acceptance, Universal/Divine Feminine, etc.
- Grandfather—similarly, yet holding accountabilities for order, stability, foundation, purpose, etc.
- Community Commons—this is harder to effect in our capitalist, property ownership-oriented economy (See work like Wealth of the Commons), but where is the shared space where our community can gather reliably? Where do you go when you’re feeling lonely? Where do you go when you need to talk? Internet spaces don’t work. It’s gotta be physical.
I’ve been trying to build all of these with the Community Dinner space, and it’s now evolving, so I’m happy to hear your input on what the next generation of what our DAILY/WEEKLY/MONTHLY community space looks like.
Yours in the Light![/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
