The Blessing of Community

“We’ve gotta have a great show, with a million laughs...and color...and a lot of lights to make it sparkle. And songs-wonderful songs. And after we get the people in that hall, we’ve gotta start em laughing right away. Oh, can’t you just see it...” Judy Garland, “Babes in Arms” 1939

“There is a certain ecstasy that you experience when you work collaboratively with other people....The rewards are built in. It has to do with your own growth and development.....We need to be together in community.” Julie Glover, from Issue 4 of  Heron Dance

In the past month, I’ve laughed until I cried (isn’t that something we don’t get enough of), watched the latest James Bond movie, spent two happy hours singing, talked books and politics, created art, Googled, talked films and politics, and the common denominator that created joy and sparkle, color, intensity and satisfaction is community. It’s hard to describe connection; I know it when I experience it, and the more connected I am, the happier I am. I’m a person who loves alone time, and I especially enjoy that when I can look forward to being with others.

There's a difference between being alone and being lonely. In the past I experienced great swaths of loneliness. Now I recognize that old companion when it comes knocking, recognize it as a real feeling, but not a reality. It's a gimmick that reminds me I'm feeling depressed or sad or temporarily helpless. It's a reminder to stop being the Lone Ranger.

Baruch ata adonai...thank you for the blessing of community and for my ability to reach out and create it for myself. Amen