Finding Community
By Jessica Marie This is the first move I have made as an adult. And while the move was made with my parents and both of my brothers, it is still the first time that community has been difficult to attain rather than a given. I grew up in Florida and had friends at our church, at the stable I volunteered and eventually worked at, and many other places. When we moved to Wyoming all of us kids were homeschooled, so we joined homeschooling groups which led to friends, acquaintances, and a sense of community. When we traveled the US for 14 months in the mid 2000’s I joined online forums and felt a sense of community there. Though that was a temporary venture as was my online forum venture. Once we reached Colorado in 2008, as we were still being homeschooled, we found a homeschool group, a drama troop, and a sense of community quickly followed. And while that circle was wide it never quite stagnated as I made new friends when I attended University. But there is a theme here, something that innately involves you with other people, school or work. These two foundational elements in most people’s lives are what help them ground into an area. To feel like they belong and feel willing to explore their new home. All of us have attained the level of education we wish to hold at this time, so no school to join for meeting people; and getting work here has been difficult. I personally am trying to build a business from home, one I can take anywhere and I don’t have to leave home if I don’t want to. There are inherent upsides to this, but it also has its downfalls. By working from home, on my own, just me and my phone or laptop (and my family) it is difficult to integrate into the community. Those we meet are polite and generally welcoming, but there are few normal situations one can find themselves in where they can organically build a network of acquaintances that could become more. I haven’t attended church in many years, preferring to study on my own. Yesterday we were invited to a local church’s social event and it was both refreshing and anxiety-inducing. Most of the people I talk with are either family or friends I have known for well over a decade. How do you introduce yourself to people? How do you go from strangers to acquaintances? In my younger years I was quite extroverted, as time has gone on I’ve become more and more introverted. This is made ever more difficult in our increasingly polarizing world. If you say the wrong thing, express the wrong sentiment, you can infuriate someone where they write you off forever. This is not a one side or the other issue, it is both sides. I don’t take sides, I flow down the middle preferring to see the merits of all. Willing to peer through the grey middle to find the truth and reality that resides there. All this to say, community and integration into an area is a daunting and slow process. One that is ever more hindered the less and less you prescribe to the norm. Be kind to the people you meet, you never know what they may be going through. I am blessed to have my family, but it’s important to have people to see and visit outside of family too. I’m excited and nervous to put myself out there and hope not to be rejected. I feel hopeful and guided by the Divine that this is a positive step into making Maine our home. I love being in new places and exploring new terrain. Yet this is part of exploring, the community that exists within a place. Much Love, Jessica Marie
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AuthorJessica Marie Cunningham - Intentional lifestyle blogger, aspiring author, and podcast host. All things Slow Living, Books, Writing, Art, creativity, Christianity, and personal stories. Archives
March 2022
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