Question of the Week: What is your role in making your community a great community?
“Next to the family, the community is the most important framework in which an individual learns to grow and develop socially. It is the center of activities which contribute significantly to the development of human value…”
· http://www.ted.com/talks/candy_chang_before_i_die_i_want_to.html
You are lucky. You live in North America; more specifically, you live in Canada. More specifically, you live in Grande Prairie, (which, despite some nasty weather for half of the year,) is one of the most economically advantaged communities in all of Canada. Furthermore, you live in the Southwest of Grande Prairie, which includes upper-middle class neighborhoods and great schools like Derek Taylor. So yeah, you're lucky on geographical grounds alone. Unfortunately, despite all of these things, where you live doesn't automatically come with a sense of community. This part requires some work and effort, and some understanding of what being a member of a community and a good neighbor really means.
You are lucky. You live in North America; more specifically, you live in Canada. More specifically, you live in Grande Prairie, (which, despite some nasty weather for half of the year,) is one of the most economically advantaged communities in all of Canada. Furthermore, you live in the Southwest of Grande Prairie, which includes upper-middle class neighborhoods and great schools like Derek Taylor. So yeah, you're lucky on geographical grounds alone. Unfortunately, despite all of these things, where you live doesn't automatically come with a sense of community. This part requires some work and effort, and some understanding of what being a member of a community and a good neighbor really means.
When we were out shoveling last week, I was bewildered by the look given to me by a student (from another school) who returned home to find about 10 of us busily scraping away at his family's driveway. When I explained to him who we were, and why we were doing what we were doing...the look he gave me was one of confusion...maybe even bordering on discomfort or fear. I spent some time over the weekend wondering about this; why did he respond this way? because he was a kid? because he wasn't raised with any manners? because he was looking forward to shoveling his driveway? None of those seemed right until I settled on this conclusion: He responded this way because, in our society, strangers doing nice things for each other without expecting something in return, just doesn't happen enough. It's too rare, and people don't expect or understand it, so how can we possibly expect them to respond? In other words, of course they are weirded out! ...but maybe that needs to change...
This is YOUR community, YOU live here, so I guess it's logical that YOU need to be the agents of change, that is, if you want to see things change. In your posting this week, consider the type of community you would like to be a member of, and what you can do to make it happen. Use the questions below to guide your response.
To what degree are we connected by where we live?
What small steps can you take to start building a better community?
What would an ideal community look like?
This is YOUR community, YOU live here, so I guess it's logical that YOU need to be the agents of change, that is, if you want to see things change. In your posting this week, consider the type of community you would like to be a member of, and what you can do to make it happen. Use the questions below to guide your response.
To what degree are we connected by where we live?
What small steps can you take to start building a better community?
What would an ideal community look like?