Why does community feel so good?

Community creates a sense of belonging and a shared vision of the world. It feels like being welcomed home. It can happen with a small group or a large group, but the feeling is that you can look deep in someone’s eyes and connect.

I went to church today, something I haven’t done in decades (I’m not religious). But my friend Mindy Haidle invited me and it felt important to be a part of her community, if only for a few hours. And the community was welcoming, the service was beautiful and the sermon was inspiring. It felt wonderful to have a group of people all focussing their good intentions in one place. It felt good to see a rich, vibrant community.

Later in the day, I went to a community organizing meeting hosted by another friend with a group of designers, creatives and social activists who are fed up with what’s happening and want to actually stand up and make a change. It also felt important to be a part of that community, talking about the larger community of progressive voters in Oregon and in the country. We’ve been a disconnected community, splintered off into different factions and losing sight of the larger issue — the midterm elections.

We talked, we dreamt big, we argued a little, we organized our thoughts into next steps. It feels good to now be a part of a rich, vibrant community.