Back from the City

I go back to the city pretty much every week, which is why I’m late with my little journal this week. Once I’m there, I like to spend a few days meeting up with clients and friends, seeing some properties, and most importantly running errands like getting my teeth cleaned, hitting CVS, Staples, Bed & Bath, and of course, TJ’s because obviously we don’t have any of those major brand stores in the mountains.

I do love the fact that we don’t have any brand store up here in our community, not even Starbucks. Though it is definitely inconvenient to be living rather remotely, living in a small community like this has a lot of charm. We utilize the local resources like water although it is getting increasingly scarce up here as well, and try to support the local business. When we ended up here to hanker down in the pandemics, the village was entirely shut down except for the general store. But now the activities are back and more, and the community is vibrant again.

I’m grateful that living in this kind of community is showing me the importance of belonging. Certainly, there are communities I’ve belonged to as I lived in the city. Yet the nature of the communities are different. I have spiritual communities, professional communities, and social communities that maintain a common thread yet were not necessarily formed around the geographical factors whereas this community is literally nestled in the forest.

There are many people who are actively involved in the community in various ways. I’ve been finding myself wanting to do something here as a member of the community. What is the most mindful way to engage here? How can I contribute? Those are the questions I’m asking myself these days while I go back and forth between the mountains and the city. As I’ve been reading a book, Community, by Peter Block, I hope I will find some meaningful way to engage. We shall see…