A stranger in town
January 5th 2007 15:03
What is "Community"? This is a question that I have been slowly tackling in my own way since the New Year. I have spent some of that time in a Community away from my home - a Youth conference community - no as the "youth" but as a volunteer - doing everything from adious-ing rubbish to setting up book stalls. This is a temporary community - in its way artificial in that it brings together reasonably like minded people from all over the Pacific Region to explore their beliefs and learn and share and have fun. Behind the scenes are other communities - those who have spent a couple of years organising the event, or those who come in for short bursts from out-lying communities to add to the event. Even in this one setting there are multi-communities.
Coming from a small town, it has been an interesting experience to be almost an outsider. True there are a few people I know or I have heard of and true, I have my jobs to do - some I am confident in doing, others not. But once again I feel a little like I did when I first ventured out into a rural community as a young teacher. At times I stood alone, uncertain where I fitted in the dynamics of the town. As I was the new teacher I was immediately associated with that community group. (just like I am now the woman who cleaned up the meeting room.) But it was important to thrust myself into other community groups. I played hockey for a while - very badly I might add, joined the Rural Youth - not just to meet blokes, went to a Church ( 'cos that is part of what I do). Then I eventually ventured into the pub and developed a liking for lemon, lime and bitters (or is it lime lemon and bitters?)
If you are to live in a rural town, you will be labelled according to the community group people choose to place you. I was still being called a teacher even after 10 years of not teaching, and I am still shaking off the jobs associated with being the Historical Society's Secretary, even though I haven't had that job for 5 years. What community groups you start with, will not determine all your life - I am certainly not a hockey stick weilding rural youth member, but I do feel I belong to some communities within the town structure.
Without being part of community, life can be very lonely. If you are going into the country, don't expect community to come to you - you will need to make the moves. As you find what interests you, or as you meet a few like minded people, you will become more settled. If you choose to disappear from the town at every opportunity, you will never really understand the town dynamics. You will eventually leave thinking that there is no community life, because you chose not to find it yourself. Try not to fall into that trap, for as I have learnt over many years, if you can rejoice when your town rejoices and mourn when they mourn, you will be a richer person for it and you will find a place to belong - or perhaps even several places within that one community.
I have a sneaky suspicion that it may be easier to become part of Community in rural towns than it is for those arriving in a city? Or is that just my bias opinion? What has been your experience?
If you are to live in a rural town, you will be labelled according to the community group people choose to place you. I was still being called a teacher even after 10 years of not teaching, and I am still shaking off the jobs associated with being the Historical Society's Secretary, even though I haven't had that job for 5 years. What community groups you start with, will not determine all your life - I am certainly not a hockey stick weilding rural youth member, but I do feel I belong to some communities within the town structure.
I have a sneaky suspicion that it may be easier to become part of Community in rural towns than it is for those arriving in a city? Or is that just my bias opinion? What has been your experience?
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