The Revolution of Community?
The Oxford Dictionary defines "community" as a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. But let's be real, in the modern kaleidoscope of social engineering "community" has morphed into something that is unrecognizable to most.
Every moment of every day we are given the opportunity to opt out of community, be it by technology or by the nauseatingly obnoxious self-care movement. We have been handed unlimited ways to disconnect and to ensure we remember to serve ourselves first, above all else.
From birth to age 16 my family lived in Mission, we lived in a beautiful apartment building by the river and outside of my family and friends, my community was almost entirely composed of the people that lived in the same apartment. There was a core group of residents that I knew for the entire first part of my life. I still have the books that they gave to me because they wrote to me on the inside cover: “Merry Christmas Kathleen, Love Bill and Flo - 1982”. I remember going to Mr. Rosenthal's funeral. I remember taking care of Mrs. O’Byrne’s dog. I remember my Mom telling me to always be polite and just say hello but not to pay attention to or be afraid of the lady that sometimes tells me about the mustard gas that sometimes comes in through the open windows or under the door into her apartment. Even the nastiest of nasties, I will just call her Mrs. K, was to be treated with politeness despite the fact that I had decided that I hated her and she fully reciprocated the sentiment. As young as 5 or 6 years old I remember her scowling at me, telling me children should not be allowed to live in the building….I was the only child in the building and everyone, including Mrs. K knew it.
This was my community and there were rules here, rules I didn't realize existed until I broke one. It was a winter morning and all the residents had plugged in their cars, blue and green and orange extension cords from car to exterior wall flanked the walkway from the back door to my parents parking space and I decided in a flash that Mrs. K’s car should be unplugged…so as my Mom was walking in front of me I just popped the end of the cord out of the receptacle and continued to follow behind my Mom, never missing a beat and likely being quite pleased with myself.
I’m not sure how many days passed until the reckoning but it came and it came via the community. Shielded from the wretched Ms. K but held accountable by my parents and the community, the very people who I loved and trusted and respected made it clear that they knew what I had done, to another member of OUR community. Some were firm, some stern, some encouraging, some dismissive, and I felt it, all of it, and I was ashamed.
Despite the fact that, yes, I still feel embarrassed by my choice, the weight of it is nothing compared to the magnitude of the lesson I learned. On the surface, yes, I never unplugged anyones block heater again but now, 40+ years later I see the impact of community and the rules that come along with being a part of one. Hierarchy is a reality, as is respect, grace and disgrace, accountability, tolerance, care, politeness, boundaries, group consensus, and the reverence for living a life that is equally concerned with the overall well being of others as it is our individual selves. Simply put, living “in community” means we just need to give a bigger shit about others in almost all instances. We need to revisit our roles as community members at a grass roots level and we need to willingly operate within the set of rules that still exists today despite the fact that we choose to ignore them.
As we observe the subtle fall of societal norms and the erosion of spoken expectations, the concept of 'community' takes on an even more profound role. In times when the fabric of society seems to fray, it is the essence of community that weaves us back together, patching the gaps with threads of mutual understanding and shared values.
Community isn't just a network of individuals; it's the collective heartbeat of humanity, resilient in the face of change. As norms evolve and expectations shift, the community serves as a compass, guiding us back to our shared humanity. It's the safety net that catches us when the structures we rely on seem to wobble.
In the absence of rigid norms, our community becomes the guardian of tradition and the innovator of new customs. It is within this dynamic collective that we find the strength to uphold the unspoken, yet understood, principles of respect, empathy, and cooperation. It is these principles that not only define us but also remind us that we are not alone in navigating the complexities of an ever-changing world.
As we begin to feel the rumblings of a general revolution pointed towards our framework of systems like our frighteningly broken public education system, our health care system, our social service system, the political system and the financial system my excitement and hope grows but if we are to effect change I am reminded of how important the essence of community is and will continue to be as these revolutions gain momentum. I see a need to first revolutionize “community” and the responsibilities that come with the rights and privilege of living within one. It is the community that must hold the institutins accountable and in order to do that we must operate as a community: in spirit, in structure, in essence. I belive that with a strengthening of community at a grass roots level we can begin to revolutionize the upside down nature of the way we live but first we must look outside of ourselves and give a bigger shit. We must believe that a mass mobilizatin of community spirit will change the world.
Some of us unplug the car and some of us witness the deed. Without community there is neither an entity to tell nor an entity to enact change. There is no whole to sum up the parts.
Yours in truth always,
Kathleen