Being in Community

by Carol Hohle

I was sitting with a friend yesterday talking over a cup of coffee at the local bagel shop.  We were sharing experiences of the past year – how we each had been finding our way in a new world of opportunities and challenges – and what we had been observing.  It was a great, genuine exchange.

About twelve hours later I recalled a comment I had made in our discussion.  It wasn’t a big deal.
It was one of those passing comments.  We were talking about my website, this website, Inspiration House.  He asked me how the community area was going – did I think it was going well and engaging guests on the site?  I honestly responded by saying that it wasn’t going well at all.  In fact, I had been downplaying the feature in recent months.  I quickly speeded up the conversation, to excuse my failure, citing that most small sites had similar challenges and that I was so busy in school this year that I would have to postpone figuring it out this community thing until next year.

Well, at about midnight when I revisited this comment I realized my answer didn’t sit well with me.  How could I wait a year to figure out this community thing?  Community building is my thing.  It’s why I’m in school.  It’s one of the things I’m most passionate about. I had even created two graphic symbols recently that express my desire for right-sizing community.

My wholeness symbol, a photograph of a piece of fabric I wove years ago, includes threads of various colors and textures.  I think the fact this represents wholeness to me comes from a deep desire to see Community more fully expressed in my culture.  To me, when right-sized, community is whole, connected and vibrant.  It includes inter-connectivity and inter-dependence.   When wrong-sized, community is torn, isolated and monochromatic.

My healing symbol, a photograph of another piece of fabric that has lost its color and been torn, represents my understanding of the present state of community.   Community is out of balance and broken.  The long cherished ideal of individualism has led to self-absorption and isolation in this modern, materialistic age.  It cries out to me for healing and right-sizing.

In a paper for school I wrote not more than a month ago about these graphic symbols and my desire to see community more whole, I expressed my desire and hope.  I wrote of right-sizing, “To right-size the expression of Community involves a shift in our collective consciousness about the value of interconnectedness.  It involves a move away from self-centeredness toward humility – a willingness to learn from others – balanced with a right-sized understanding of one’s own talents to give to the community.”

In light of these feelings, how could I let this website languish without a more vibrant community?  And, so – there I was at midnight struck by a BFO (what my friend calls the Blinding Flash of the Obvious).  I realized that I had to reopen the Community feature on Inspiration House.

You’ll find the refreshed Community area more prominently displayed with new forums that correspond with recent topics posted on the site.  The Recent Posts area, here on the Home Page to the right, has been activated so you can easily see what’s being posted.  I’ll promise to ask for your response, comments and inspiration at the close of every posting – making it easier to get to the Community area.  And, I’ll explore ways on the technology side to make the site even more community friendly.  But, I ask this of you: I ask your help in right-size community by responding to the posts on this site, by giving your talents to the community – this one and especially to the many other communities of which you are a vital part.