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Building community is easier than you think

A lot of people seem to think creating community is complex, detailed work requiring that you do some weird door to door sales pitch about coming together as a community.

Yes, you can do that. I have. I organized a home owners association (that was 100% free) when I lived in a trailer park, creating a community of owners to fight for their tenant rights. That was work, but it was good work, and I got to know my neighbors, and they got to know me over 3 years. I got to go to town hall meetings and meet with local legislators and advocacy groups to help my community. And through that, I built a strong community that was much closer and continued on when I left.

But you don't have to build community over a cause.

I built a local community from crochet. For the last 2 years, I meet up with a wonderful group of ladies for 2 hours a week to crochet, gossip and connect.

My daughter built a community amongst her friends and coworkers to mend things called, "Mend Your Business", where they get together, mend the things that need mending, and build community.

A friend of mine opened up her garden with her husband to teach her neighbors how to successfully garden and allows the neighbors to use her garden as a trial ground.

I am getting ready to create a local group for world building for writers and TTRPG players. To get together once a month to get creative juices flowing. I plan to post the initial "come join us!" post in a couple local FB groups to get people to join.

The fact is, if you have a group of people not all related, coming together to enjoy something they all enjoy, congrats! You have a community!

Enjoy hiking? Start a hiking group! Like building models? Start a model hobby group! Like talking sports? Start a group at a local sports bar! Literally anything you enjoy doing, others do too and you can create community from it!

And it really is that easy!
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Now some might interpret building community differently.

I'm like social pollution who is kind as hell who likes to keep to myself.. Yet I'm equally complicated, I can be (almost) anyone's friend, I can be the man at a bar who steers things away from a fight , I remember two brothers at odds one New Years and I was feeling why here, why now? I left them alone, but I made a kind of connection with the one friend of theirs, trying to remind her, the best you can do no matter how this upsets you is try to be there for your friend and be calm. She ended up thanking me for knowing how to intervene.

But that's how I find myself in a group setting, I have no interest in being a group leader, I rather keep to myself even though I love people. I hope I'm not raining upon your expression, it's beautiful
FoxyQueen · 51-55, F
@awildsheepschase Not at all! Not everyone is equipped to create a group. Luckily, there are people who are who probably already have in your local area!

Community also happens online as well!

And if you even only work in small circles, those people become community, if even for a small moment.
Fieldmaster · 46-50, M
Awesome!! This is really great!
We do have a hiking group hikes and visit to different to parks and trials.

 
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