Relationships+ Safety

Last class we were talking about concepts; attempting to define what a concept is and talking about what a concept could be. We narrowed in on the concept of community and its many contributing aspects that are important to the make up of what is community.

During class I was too busy trying to organize my thoughts and conceptualize the information being discussed to participate out loud, so I sat back and listened to our small community contribute to the concept of community. I was glad to hear the different ideas and concepts that were being discussed. It was only when we disbursed into smaller groups that I was able to assemble my thoughts into words.One concept aspect that really caught my ear was relationships and their importance to community.

The concept of community really hits home with me personally and even more so the relationships we have within that community. Being a type one, I am all about working in groups and contributing to a communal goal/goals. In order for the group or community to really work together to make a change, there needs to be strong relationships between the people working together. Therein lies the problem. A community can be goal oriented and hard working, but if there are no personal connections to others inside the community, then the perception of realities will not be easily changed and a transformation could not occur.
Community promotes a sense of belonging and purpose and unless we have relationships in the community that give us a purpose to contribute and give us a feeling of belonging, the validity of the community is compromised.

In a society today that is made up of independent people, schools, and businesses , the idea of interdependency is almost new. The society we live in today is an example of the complete opposite of what it needs to become. Technology is largely to blame. Don't get me wrong, the technology we have today is amazing but it is also a great tool for disengagement from the relationships one has or could have.I give to you the email, almost making the phone call obsolete. Speaking of phones, texts messages are a great example of how not to build strong relationships these days. All of these fun gadgets we have today distance us from the great community that we can and need to be.

This brings about some other thoughts of why does the reality we live in today need to change? Does society want to change? The need for change is a simple answer, safety. I believe that a majority of people live in fear. Fear of what? Why? People are fearful because they are living in a society that has pushed for independence in most aspects of life. This independence disconnects their relations with other people and instills fear in them. They no longer have a sense of belonging, no sense of purpose. Burning the bridges they once crossed instead of repairing and building new bridges. Only when the relationships of people in a community flourish, can the concepts and ideas of purpose, belonging, and safety thrive. This is all good and well when set to paper, but the practical use is quite complex.
There is no wrong way to go about creating relationships or working as a community. The problems that arise are acting first. Action is the first step to creating relationships and getting things done.