We’re still socially distancing around here. It feels almost normal by this point, which makes it even sadder. I’m such a homebody lately and need to really motivate myself to go out anywhere. What makes this especially weird is that I used to be (or am, or thought I was) an extrovert. I gain energy being around others. I am pretty sure that’s what I read was the definition of being an extrovert. I can be having a really garbage day in my own head, and then get around a group of people and just make a complete turnaround. It’s hard for me to be in a bad mood when I’m in a group. I wrote recently about being a loner while running since having kids. I’ve been able to make some connections recently, so hopefully the cycle of lone running will be broken soon. 

I listened to Michelle Obama’s podcast this week. It was all about community. It was all about connecting with people around you and how kids used to be raised by extended families and neighborhood blocks, not just by the nuclear family. It was all about how we, as a society, have isolated ourselves and haven’t kept in touch with the communities around us. This spoke directly to my heart and probably struck a chord with a lot of people who are tired of feeling isolated by the pandemic right now. 

We need community. People need togetherness, to share burdens and joys and triumphs. We have gotten further and further apart and more and more competitive with one another as technology has improved. We’re more digitally connected than ever, but we’ve gotten out of the habit of offering to help others, so we don’t feel that we can ask for help either. This leads to judgement and isolation. How great would it be if we supported each other and helped each other with this virtual interconnectedness? It would have to be a really intentional move, something people did by putting others before themselves.

I love the idea of raising kids in community and feeling so tied to a place and group that you feel compelled to give back – to give of one’s time, energy, and resources. Up until now, we haven’t felt rooted in our neighborhood or community. We moved into our house a little over 2 years ago, but before that, we were in the city, and before that, we were right outside DC in a different apartment every 2 years. We learned that it takes more than 2 years to feel rooted. 

Our neighborhood is awesome. There are lots of families with kids, and everyone is nice. We feel really lucky. After bouncing around a lot early on in our marriage, we want to just stay here for …. ever. We probably will, too. Being truly part of a community has to be more than just hanging out on weekends though. It feels like some of the values that made previous generations able to thrive in community just aren’t part of our culture anymore. The fact that so many people have a problem wearing masks just seems really selfish to me. Thankfully it doesn’t seem to be a problem in our immediate surroundings, though Nextdoor, the place where you learn exactly how nuts your neighbors can be, makes it clear that some people in our neighborhood feel that masks are ridiculous. The idea that the inconvenience of wearing a mask is more important than not spreading a disease is absolutely ludicrous to me. But WE are a society, so WE as a society no longer care about others. WE as a society only care about ourselves. I find this incredibly disappointing. 

Now how do we make a change? Woof, it’s going to take time and effort. We can get involved in our communities. We can volunteer and help our neighbors with projects or watching their kids, things that require only a little time and effort. We can donate to community centers and local places that employ people who are properly trained to run after school programs or adult education centers. We can raise our kids to value investing in community and giving their time and treasure to others for the good of all. And we can vote. We can vote. I’ll say it again. We can vote.