A Sense of Community!

I want to share something that is making me pause, think... and giving me an extra surge of hope...  It is an unexpected 'bonus' with significant potential... something that is being encouraged amongst us and our neighbours by facilitators at our soon-to-be new estate...  

It is the active cultivation of the 

 'Sense of Community'.  

I have known a sense of community before in areas of my life...
In my (large) family, among my friends, my active church community, my workplace...  Upon reflecting however, I don't think it is something that I have experienced* within my neighbourhood before now...
(*I mean this as an adult - excluding where I grew up & my childhood family friends)

Since moving out of my parent's home many, many years ago, my 'places of residence' did not really have any connection with my neighbours at each location.  Sure, for many years - being single, young, and renting with friends meant I didn't really see the need to look outside my immediate dwelling...

 

Well, a small meeting this week at our new estate (with Maree Machin from Bukaji Consultants) regarding a potential Community Garden (and more) has definitely got me thinking....

As an adult, I have lived in various suburbs throughout Brisbane, 9 rentals and finally 1 house we owned (that's another story).  However, in all these different locations, I can only think of one neighbour who I actually knew well enough to remember their name*...  

Why is that?  

Is it a 'keep to yourself' habit?... the element of fear?  What is it that keeps the neighbourly relations to a brief nod, smile and wave but never moving to anything more substantial?  

Well, this process of uprooting our family from Brisbane Suburbia is and has been a HUGE adventure (read scary, exciting, exhausting, challenging and positive)... In all that I desired for our new "home/place of sanctuary", I can't say I expected to be presented with an opportunity for 'community' as well... Today, I am 'moved' by this potential bonus for my family!!!

A while back, my husband and I visited an eco friendly estate at Currumbin Valley.  We fell in love with the place but unfortunately it was out of our price range (among other things).  

What stands out in my memory was the sense of community this place offered (it helped that the residents were primarily like-minded eco-friendly people)...  One particular way they did this was the "green areas" grouping blocks of land / available for community garden plots etc... I particularly love the idea of growing plants, food and gardens together with neighbours - I love community art and this is similiar - a community project...  Something that was created together, evolving and significant to its members... An experience that connects the young and old and provides positive links between those participating...

....Just to clarify, I am not a gardener... However, I often entertain the idea of having a herb garden/ vege patch /my own fresh produce one day... I feel that if I could manage to do this, it would provide a significant level of satisfaction and accomplishment... A dream perhaps... I feel overwhelmed at the thought of achieving this by myself however... hmmm what if I could work with others on such a project.... OMG... imagine that!....

So a year ago, when my family embarked on our 'whirlwind sea-change'... I was adamant that I didn't want to move from Brisbane suburbia to somewhere that may as well be in suburbia... I needed our new place to have an distinct difference to the place we came from... Predominately I thought that this difference was via nature...(I wanted trees, or a view of water, or some surrounding environment that contributed to the feeling of sanctuary for us...)

Until now, it hadn't occurred to me that the difference might be also via something similiar to what I saw happening at that eco-friendly estate those years ago... 

A sense of community with my neighbours.... 

A common project like a community garden to bring us together, get to know each other, and have a positive effect on our lives...  

I feel so grateful for our good friends / soon-to-be neighbours across the road (who also relocated from Brisbane at a similiar time) and also for the other lovely people I have met so far from the estate...  We have joked about looking forward to a block party or two, street cricket with the kids, and such... 

But after today, I have been reminded that there can be even more... 

 ...that which I admired back at that other eco-friendly estate, is also within reach here = a community project (garden) that brings people together -  ... 

I value this highly, that something so rare in today's suburbs, is a real potential right here, for me and my family, for all those around us...

(The cautious part of me says... hey be careful how excited you get... don't jump the gun... things can go wrong when you step out of your comfort zone, meet new people, share too much of yourself etc... what if people don't like me?!.... hang on.... where did that 'red' thought come from?  It's ok... Embrace new experiences... All is well... Move forward...)

Bottom line - This is even more than I hoped for my family... a potential new experience of community... Something to be encouraged by... and to contribute to... and to share with others... A potential blessing to add to the intentional cultivation of 'sanctuary' with my family... 

So, there you go... the beginning of a new element to our journey. I am grateful for Maree's role in facilitating this development of community... I anticipate learning more about nurturing community with our fellow-residents... in this beautiful location that I am so looking forward to call HOME...

To conclude this (long) post I want to share an interesting quote I found on a website on Home and Garden:

"In this study, we found that the more vegetation in a common space, the stronger the neighborhood social ties near that space," 

wrote Frances E. Kuo, William Sullivan and Liesette Brunson of the U. of I. and Rebekah Levine Coley of the University of Chicago. 

"Compared to residents living adjacent to relatively barren spaces,  individuals living adjacent to greener common spaces had more social activities and more visitors, knew more of their neighbors, reported their neighbors were more concerned with helping and supporting one another, and had stronger feelings of belonging."

So what do you think???

Peace.... :)