Building Community

 As I reflect back on the reunions, I am struck by how much those few days spent with fellow graduates of my alma mater filled my need for Community.  The Pandemic had exacerbated the loneliness and sense of isolation that had grown within me over the past several years, and being back on campus with my peers alleviated those feelings in a significant and unexpected way. Perhaps, all these years later, I might actually Belong, in a way I didn't recognize all those years ago. Or perhaps I Belong now, even if I did not quite fit in back then. The years change us, allow us to grow and to See, in a way we didn't before.

And perhaps that is why, when I was asked earlier this week whether I would be interested in taking on a Significant Responsible Position in the Volunteer Group in which I participate for my college, I said yes. It's a chance to immerse myself, to redeem myself for opportunities missed when I was in school, to be fully involved, to be part of something bigger than myself. 

To help others to feel as if they, too, Belong. To do Good. 

To help this Community, to make this Community better. To serve this Community, as best I can. 

It's a Lot. I might be a little scared of the level of Commitment. But at the same time, it will take me back to my roots, and bring out the enthusiasm and joie de vivre that my young self once had. And give me a chance to be part of something Bigger, and to do Good. 

Here we go.