One of the biggest tragedies of recent times is the loss of community.
Or maybe it has been fading for a while, let go slowly bit by bit.
Replaced with secrecy, distance, high fences and busy lives wrapped up in terms like ‘safety’ and ‘independence’.

Not sure if you remember how once there was community where there was the belief in the value of the people.
The people of an area regardless of how long they have been there, of what anyone had or didn’t have.
Where compassion, caring, supporting, picking someone up or dragging them up was a thing.
Where when someone was out of line, there was someone with the backbone to tell them the truth.
Where if you had a problem you could not solve, you could find someone to trust, to confide in, to help you find an answer.
Where love was real, the elderly had dignity and the youth had a mentor.

A place where there was genuine, recognised, and appreciated value in the skills people had and a sharing of those skills to benefit all.
Sometimes you were paid for the value you gave and sometimes you traded for something you needed.
A place of belonging, caring, challenge, support and being.
A place that is dynamically rich that teaches much.
Of all things I value, community is among the highest.

I miss when community included family and became like family. Where people talked for ages in the street,
and knew the people on their block and cared. Where you could easily ask for a cup of sugar and where
every few weeks there was someone’s back yard BBQ and you could bring a mate.

You know, like it was before we were told to be afraid of everything and everyone…
and that fear became real.

It is not too late to move into a place where “community” lives once again.

It starts with you…