I am trying to put together an action that is meaningful and will move the needle on this idea that keeps hitting me. On several occasions and from multiple people it has been pointed out to me that we have lost pride in our community and each other. We have lost community. The hate language that continues to be used, bully approach to issues, win-lose mentality, and the dividing of people is getting stronger and breaking us further apart. Yesterday at a presentation I attended the dividing was done in a carefully crafted way and disguised by the speaker, but it was still there. I felt it. I got messages after the meeting because I spoke up. Not loud enough and not clearly enough, but I did speak. The response from the speaker framed me as someone that doesn’t understand development and someone that thinks we should not cut down any trees. I am an architect. I need development to continue. I just want it better designed. This is a prime example of how community is being dismantled. If you question the person in power you are labeled an extremist, a flake, crazy, ignorant.
What if we build communities that everyone can have opportunity. What if we build pride in our community and each other? What if we listened to questions and answers and trusted each other? What if our decisions were for the greater good?
I wrote a blog about it. The loss of civic groups (bowling leagues, membership in Rotary, CSI) all have helped us enter echo chambers. We are fragmented and believe “they” are out to get us. But what if the problem is we are “they” and we are destroying our communities by adding to the echo.
I want to find a way, place, and time to have conversation across race, age, religion, political affiliation, and gender to build trust and friendship. Then we can address the issues where there is really debate that needs to happen. The issues where the right choice is fragile and narrow and will take work to get it right.
Do you have an idea of how and where this can happen? Do you have a suggestion of how I can bring people together to build community?
Imagine that this thing happens and we all cheer on our community like we cheer on our favorite football team. What if we so passionately believe in and trust each other that we reach out to help each other? What if we start thinking about how to support community not to get something in return, but to do something for each other?
