Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Building Community
Wow its been a very busy week with after school activities, reading at the school, visiting a friend who's had major surgery and volunteering for the school fete comminty. Which brings me to todays topic - How to build Community. This is one of my favourite posters below. I have it on my fridge and it reminds me to get involved.


Now, I have a very solitarity personality. Getting out and about, volunteering and getting involved in things is not second nature to me. I am definately not shy but I just don't like to socialise all that much. So most of the things mentioned on the poster above require me to really put myself out there - mostly in an uncomfortable way.

But of course building community is essential and so this this year I intend to do some of the things I haven't done from the poster. Let's see.....

I could sit out the front of my house sometimes and talk to people when they walk by.

I could fix it even when I didn't break it.

I could organise a pot luck.

Rhianna and I are going to walk our street on Sunday picking up rubbish for Clean Up Australia Day.

I could give away more of my baking.

But I can tell you right now, I will never be dancing in the street.

What activities do you do that build your community?

2 comments:

Linda said...

This is the post I liked today. It made me think. It brought to mind things that have happened this week. Last Friday I went to the Agricultural Show office. Our town is small and isolated. I have been here with my family 6 years. I liked seeing the older people that came in to pay their membership. I was viewed a bit hesitantly, I went there to enter the girls in things like floral saucer and doll competition, etc. Then the lady said "Oh, the ******** girls" * for our surname. Obviously my girls must be known around, and it helps.

Anonymous said...

When I worked full time, I never had time to build community.

Now that I have changed my lifestyle,
I have started to build community.

i volunteer with reading at my daughter's school

i am getting to know the other mums of my daughter's friends

when I go for my walk in the morning, I am seeing the other regular walkers at the same time- we nod and smile, or say hello...

i have time to shop locally at the nearby shops and have gotten to know some of the small business shopkeepers and i can support them

i have time to visit other simplified living blogs and feel more connected

i also have more time to take my daughter to the local playground or park with a little friend, or we meet local people at the park.

I am inspired to continual to grow in building relationships in the local community

Non Consumer Girl