My Simple Community

January 27, 2011

In the spirit of full disclosure, I am writing this in 60 degrees in St. Petersburg, FL.

But I put in over 30 winters in Michigan, so I paid my snowy dues.  And, while I am happy to be out of snowy winters, some of my fondest memories are similar to the picture below taken earlier today in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC.

The weather eliminated the mechanical beasts called cars and buses and forced them to their feet. It brought to a screeching halt overly busy schedules filled with activities that, probably few really needed completing.  And it motivated more than a few to take full advantage of an enjoyable community moment:  A snowball fight.

January 15, 2011

Can you describe the typical workday at an office building somewhere in America in 1980? Your first instinct may be to say that you can.  But think about it for a moment.  Right now.  Before reading further…

Were there any computers in your image? If so, start again.

I was alive and working in 1980 and I am having a very hard time trying to figure out how we got anything done in offices at that time. We would have been dead without typewriters for sure.  And technology killed the power role of secretaries. Boy did we take what they did for granted.

I was having coffee with a friend this morning and we were discussing how rapidly technology is changing and how much of an impact technology is having on our social lives.  The conversation began when he told a story about when a new teacher working with high school students raised the power of Facebook. One student replied “Oh. That’s for old people.” Really?

Do you know what IS the Facebook for 18 year-olds today?  I didn’t think so.  Neither do I.

Then we started talking about what is “a long time.” No matter when you were born, 10 years before that was ancient history.  Think of your birth year.  Think of the major historical events of 10 years before that.  Ancient history, right?  Now… think of the year 2000.  Ten years ago.  Feels like yesterday, right?

Oh my…

Not only can we NOT keep up with what is changing – we have no clue what is relevant to 18-year-olds today. We can’t RECALL what was relevant – office work before computers.

But not everything changes.  My dad took me to a Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees baseball game at Tiger Stadium in 1963 – 47 years ago. The core experience of watching a baseball game with your dad is the same today. So is the experience of having friends over for dinner.  Or getting together with a friend for coffee on a Saturday morning.

Life is not simple.  Maybe it never was.  But because some of the most important things we do - like simple community - don’t change much, it’s tempting to think life isn’t changing and we don’t need to pay much attention. The great news about massive change in the presence of the stability of simple community is that we have a haven in community to find relief, encouragement, support, renewal and fulfillment. 

The sobering piece of all of this is that the support of simple community is only available to those who know and experience simple community in the first place.  If Facebook is for old people, in the mind of an 18 year-old, what is simple community – if it even exists?

November 6, 2010

Ok, so it’s been two months since my last entry. A lot of community has happened since then. We are approaching the end of 2010 and I am happy to say there are organizations and companies very seriously considering significant investments in programs that will support community engagement.  It seems the time has come.

Over the next several weeks, as things unfold, I will share what I can in here. At the same time I would greatly appreciate any stories you have to share about how your community is growing or examples you are seeing that give evidence to a greater priority and passion for truly engaged community.

More to come…

August 19, 2010

It was my great fortune to spend last weekend in Destin, FL with the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce during their annual meeting. It was remarkable on several fronts. Let me set the context.

Destin is in the Florida Panhandle, otherwise known as the docking point for oil and tar balls from the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the year I live further south in the Tampa area and I was there over the months as the nature of the spill became known and continued to extend. Tampa was really at no serious immediate risk of getting hit with oil or tar, none the less, people cancelled their summer plans “just in case.”

They didn’t want to risk losing their vacations, wasting their money, being disappointed.  I get that. I even respect it. In this economy, how do you ask people to take that risk when every penny counts and the relief of vacation is so important.

So now imagine you are the Tallahassee Chamber or one of its members. It’s May. You know Destin is in the heart of the likely hit zone for oil and tar. There is no end in sight. What would you do?

Here is what they did.

They went!

Think about it, the courage, the message they sent TO A COMMUNITY OTHER THAN THEIR OWN! Not only was the Tallahassee Chamber risking a lot of money, they were risking the potential of a demoralizing event. They did it when nearly everyone else went the other way.

It took more than the courageous leadership of the Chamber here. Each of the nearly 400 members who chose to attend paid their own way. Each had the opportunity to go the other way as well, to cancel, to stay home. At a time when dollars are tight and small business is really struggling, they came.  As a group they declared by their actions how important it is for us to move forward with courage. They showed their priority for gathering to support their community and the community of Destin at the same time.

They had fun.

Good for them. We will not endure the hardships without the balance – or the risks.

They inspired each other merely by being there. Had there been no sessions, no speeches or videos, no breakout groups, no discussions, they still would have left having been inspired by their own risk and investment.

I am reminded that the companies who came out of the Great Depression best were those who had the courage to think, build and act for a better future rather than focusing on how to minimize their losses.

In a similar way, The Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and their members have established something of a benchmark of hope for me in these uncertain times.

July 10, 2010

I’m reading an interesting book called “Blue Zones” by Dan Buettner which is about why there are pockets of population that live to be over 100.  Vicki (my wife) found it and immediately saw the importance of vibrant community as a key factor in living a longer life.

Ok, now I am going to completely blow it because here is how you save time with this book…read the preface, it’s really good and explains the idea, then go to page 227 and go through the nine factors most associated with high quality longer lives. From there, go back and explore from the nine the things where you feel you are most lacking.

According to Blue Zones, I’m nuts!  No… wait a minute…page 243, according to the book I need to EAT more nuts. Seriously. Worth reading just for the nut theory and I can do this one. I am also thrilled because it fully supports my continued play in the geezers softball league.

Thank God there are not ten factors, because the tenth would most certainly be take the time to read a whole book! I’m just trying to be realistic here. It’s hard enough to find time to read the 100 words in this post.

From so many different angles, the more we study the quality of life, the more simple community concepts are near the heart of all that works best and Blue Zones touches on many of them. If you know of others, please let me know by adding a comment. By the way, there is also a website worth checking out www.bluezones.com.  On it, you can get an idea of your life expectancy.  Be honest in how you answer.