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With humans, community is only there when the intention to make it so is being exercised. Community is a survival mechanism, but it shouldn’t be hard to swallow, like nasty tasting medicine.

You might think of a community of plants or of wildlife in an ecosystem and yes, that does translate across to humans, but much more is expected of us. We can choose to form communities.

Most of us live, now, as transients and transplants. We haven’t stayed put, developing longitudinal relationships over time and through changes.

Most of us have not had occasion to bond with our immediate or town-level neighbors through an event or notable incident. We may know these people in passing or through our kids, but how many of us have worked in a civic spirit to make tangible changes in our home communities?

Community is an awareness, a sense not unlike to the one we feel toward family. It’s an extension of ourselves as individuals and – if developed – it brings an extra layer of comfort, like another blanket over us on a cool night.

Where there is no community, no one cares. Maybe somebody cares, but the rest pay no attention.

Robert Putnam wrote about the erosion of community and the social capital that active community generates in Bowling Alone. I see the need for a reawakening of community spirit and awareness in the increasing dependence we have on our localities. The relocalization movement is beginning to build, but it requires a sense of community if it is to take hold.

Communities take root with a core of true believers whose commitment and persistence make things happen and draw attention. These core groups should be in communication, learning from one another and providing mutual support. Such a network is something I’m working on.