Build Community

I’ve been up since 5 am, because that’s what I do, working on some things in my office. While reading a relatively local paper and cruising through the new bankruptcy page and hearing the stories people tell me very week, I had a thought. It is times like these, that we have to come together and be that listening ear, that helping hand. I am very happy that we’re helping Haiti, but have you helped your neighbor? It’s times like these that many people start losing hope, when families start to buckle under the financial pressures…what can we do?

Smile at someone when you’re walking down the street. Listen to someone. Ask people how they are doing. Care. Obviously there are more people hurting than we know because many won’t or don’t want to admit it; but the one thing we all can do is be passionate about caring about each other. Build our community, our local and online community. This has nothing to do with government, or how much money you have in your account. Everyone can care, and take the time to show that.

If you have the wisdom or knowledge or expertise in something you can pass that on. That may be the ticket for someone to find a job, find a better job, or start their own business. This would be a great time for people to collaborate, team up, build something new. We have to be willing to teach, and we have to be willing to learn. There was that saying that it takes a village to raise a child; well, it takes a community to grow and support a community. Each one of us is a vital piece to the community, we each have something to give. Don’t sell yourself short.

So, in my early morning thoughts, that is what I came up with. I just think it’s time to be human, to care about people, to help, to lift up, to build, to stop labeling…to build and support community.