After studying community and developing strategies over the last several years to encourage more fulfilling community engagement, I think I have identified some keys to success. Perhaps the most important is the power of the story.
The purpose of this blog is to serve as a place for stories - but of a particular kind.
We all have been invited to - or sometimes even just happened upon - a gathering of people who were doing something that really hit the spot when it comes to family, friends and neighbors being able to enjoy each other. The very best of them make it easy for those who participated to go and tell others about the activity in a way that leads others to try the same or similar things.
More than anything else, I want to encourage you to share stories like that for the purpose of motivating people to try and repeat them in their communities.
Many of the stories are common. They are about things that are around us everyday but we just don't think about them. Because we don't think about them, we don't do them. I will share one with you now in the hope that you will consider doing it where you live. But more important, so that you will consider sharing your story here.
By the way, when you hit the "comment" button it asks for your email address. We won't share those publically. It just makes it possible for me to get back in touch with you.
So... my story - the farmers market.
I bet you have one near you. They operate on weekends during harvest seasons. They are almost always outdoors. Here, they used to close down two blocks of the main street every Saturday morning and there would be two isles of booths where mostly local farmers would sell their fresh fruits and vegatables. Craftsmen would sell their work as well. There were also coffee and food booths and some form of simple folk music. People often brought their dogs. Neighbors ran into each other. You get it.
Well then last year as the economy started to slip, they decided to move it to... a parking lot. A parking lot. I hadn't seen it since. But you know, I assumed it had moved because it was falling on hard times. Well last weekend Vicki suggested we stop. Why not.
I'm an idiot with silly assumptions. The location was only two blocks away from where it used to be, it was a lot that was surrounded by mature trees and was easy to get to. And far from failing, the market is easily TWICE the size it used to be.
Here I am, the community guy, and I let my silly assumptions about the economy and change lead me to assume the worst.
Seeing it thrive, with many more people and a lot more offerings, was such a hopeful sign to me, and to shoppers - I am guessing there were twice as many of them as before as well.
When was the last time you went the farmers market? The other thing that's great about it is I know I am supporting my neighbors and running into them when I go.
What's your story?
