Community

I've been thinking a lot about community lately.

Every month I get together with a good friend over lunch.  We try out different restaurants every time, but we always end up talking about community.  Without fail.

They're great conversations that force me to think through community.  To figure out why it still feels elusive.  And why other people claim they feel "community" in groups that I do not.  Each month we seem to dig a little deeper.

I think everyone needs community.  Whether they admit it to themselves or not.  But I think that the "need" that they have for community varies widely depending on the person.

A person who lives far from their family needs a different kind of community than a person who still lives at home.  A single person is looking for something different in community than a married couple. Et cetera...

This is hardly groundbreaking, but being able to see this made "community" a whole lot more understandable for me.

Communities seem to form around a common need.  For a long time I just assumed that "all communities were created equally", but I'm quickly learning that it doesn't work that way.  When I visit the "community" that one of my good friends is a part of, I don't get that feeling of "community".  And I think that it's because what that community offers is not what I'm looking for.  They operate around a collective need--and it works for them!  I just have a different need.

I'm still searching.  I'll find my community eventually.