People often talk about community. How important it is. How it’s declining. How to build community.
As I look back over this month, I’m struck by how much “community” there was in October. I often feel that our world is small here at the farm. We have our family. Our close friends. Our routines. We don’t go too far beyond that. But this month showed that’s not exactly true.
From a school open house to a fall fair, our little farm community turned out. I am always so impressed how many people volunteer, attend and just simply support the events that happen around us. The school cross country meet was filled with waves, arm squeezes, dash-by hellos, text messages, voicemails and shared photos.
A neighbour and I have started hiking once a week. I love our conversations and how we push each other to pick up the pace. Sporadic text messages with our patio landscapers resulted in a fun morning shooting photos and videos at their current job site. A walk with Cigo before Thanksgiving dinner with Matt’s family led to a message from a blog reader who recognized us going past her house (hi Suzanne). A social media conversation turned into a guest speaker for my class and a really meaningful connection with a woman who has similar values to me.
All of these little moments of connection add up to feeling valued and cared for.
Today is election day. Elections are obviously a big example of community and the impact we have.
Throughout this campaign, I’ve tried to find candidates that show they care and value our community. In my opinion, government should be here to help. An election cannot be just about property taxes and city budgets. We need to think about who will best care for our rural, urban, suburban and natural spaces and all the people who live there.
Often I feel like I’m in the minority with my views and my candidates don’t stand a chance. It’s frustrating and discouraging and worrying.
“Many people are disillusioned with politics. Some people throw up their hands and say, “Forget it, I’m not even going to vote.” But this will actually make things worse. I’m guessing you want things in your community to be better. For this to happen we all need to get out and vote.”
Jill Wiwcharuk
I will be voting today for the people who share my vision for a better, kinder, more helpful community. I hope you will vote as well.
Beyond our wider communities, I encourage you to think of how you can make your own part of the community a little more caring and connected. Send a text, say hello, wave, pass along a photo. Reach out. It doesn’t have to be big or time consuming. It will make a difference in someone’s day.
