Community Bound

We are all born into a community.  Our family is our first community; our town, school, friend-base, etc. become our extended communities.  Some of us excel at joining and forming these communities, while some of us just exist within them by chance.

When I was a child, i was a loner.  Anyone who knows me now (with the exception of a few of you) may not believe that this could be true, but it is.  I always thought i wanted to join in, belong, be part of things, but the second i got invited in, i would bail.  I liked drawing, writing and playing my video games more than doing what the masses did.  As i aged, through high school and college, the communities i belonged to were like extended families- we all formed by fate and we all worked well.

When i moved here, i did a complete 180.  I wanted so badly to feel like i belonged, that i joined EVERYTHING i could find.  I found a Womens' Group, i joined an Outdoors Adventure Group (before I was outdoorsy or adventurous), i joined book clubs and movie clubs and writing clubs and more!  When M was born, i joined moms groups!  i was constantly trying to find where i belonged.  Now, nearly nine years later, i am extremely comfortable and grateful for the people that i found and the dear friendships i have gained from my constant search for community.  I am also grateful that I have been able to stop the search.  I am 100% satisfied in my life, with my friends, with my community.

And now, here i am, on the verge of this newest chapter of our lives (i.e. kindergarten- as you may have noticed it's the fresh topic around here), i am realizing that i am going to be propelled into a whole lot of new communities (welcome or not.)  I am now part of the kindergarten class C4 community, the elementary school community, the neighborhood parents-with-kids-at-this-school community... the list may never end.  While i am no longer searching for these vast communities, i am a at good place in my life where i will no longer turn them away.  i will belong and do my parts to be active in these new communities.  Who knows- i may even find a community that is once again formed by fate that we can all live well in.