Tag Archives: community

Dec23

“how many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone.” ― coco chanel

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my class was interested in learning about snow

they knew that it:

comes from up there 

falls down to the ground

is cold

tastes like peppermint 

and 

you can make stuff out of it. 

they wanted to learn about snowplows

so we invited our school’s snowplow driver

over for a visit

everyone put on their winter gear 

headed outside 

where he

showed them his truck

put on the lights 

moved the plow up and down

and 

pushed the snow around the circle

then

we invited him into our room

to ask him questions

and learn more about him

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he told the kids

to call him roger

he was very gentle and kind

he has been here for 28 years

this is his last snowplow winter

he answered every single question 

 listened to every single comment about snow

 they asked him what he does

when he’s not plowing

 they were surprised

he lives on 20 acres

has fainting goats, black swans and an aviary of 500 exotic finches

 decorates peoples houses for the holidays

is a father and grandfather 

and

a horticulturist 

who helped to create the children’s garden at our school

he is more than what they saw

when they saw him plowing the snow

now they know him as a person

now they will wave to each other

now they know how he helps our community

now they know how much more there is to his story

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 when he was finished 

and it was time

for him to go back to his work

the children gathered around him and gave him hugs

they know a good person when they meet one.

—
“i  hope I didn’t bore you too much with my life story.” – elvis presley

Oct23

pickaxe.

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—

proud to have worked really hard

with my colleagues

on this chilly fall morning

to help to make the shelter

a better place for those who need it

by helping

put their garden

to bed this fall

and

by planting

new possibilities there

for them to awaken to next spring.

Sep21

open doors.

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one day gerald mysteriously appeared

with a note and a friendly greeting

left by an unknown visitor

 and

he moved into

the fairy community at my cottage

i know they welcomed him

with open arms and open doors. 

—-

“happiness often sneaks in

through a door you didn’t know you left open.”

-john barrymore

Sep10

one from many.

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i recently made a wonderful discovery

when playing with a couple of my grandies 

at the park across the street from my house.

the people in my local community

who visit the park or live nearby 

have begun

to purposely

leave toys behind 

for any and all children to play with.

what a simple, powerful, and generous act

 what an amazing way to teach children gratitude

and

the importance

of sharing what we have

with others in the world

who may not have as much. 

—
“the essence of community, its heart and soul,

is the non-monetary exchange of value;

things we do and share because we care for others,

and for the good of the place.”

― dee hock, One from Many

Sep5

“labor gives birth to ideas.” – jim rohn

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“modern society, based as it is on the division of labor,

can be preserved only under conditions of lasting peace.”

-ludwig von mises

—

happy labor day in the usa

to all of those who labor

wherever you may be

—

image credit: google images

Aug15

act.

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yesterday

i went to the official opening 

of the local headquarters 

for 

my choice of candidates

for the office of

the next

president of the united states of america.

when i pulled into the parking lot

there was not a space to be had 

there was a torrential downpour of rain 

yet people of all ages

were waiting

and

pouring out of the door

and

once i walked into the room

there was

so much enthusiasm 

and

so full of hope

and

postive thinking

it was overwhelming

 i’m excited to say that

tomorrow i’ll begin helping them

to try to make it all happen in november.

—

“act as if what you do makes a difference. it does.”

~william james

—

image credit: googleimages

Jun8

soul music.

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we stopped  to listen to an ensemble of young girls

playing lovely music at the weekend farmer’s market.

their teacher said they were in the 8th grade

where everyone is asked

to contribute something to the community.

these girls chose to offer what they had to give –

their natural gift of music.

they had to organize the day

 by asking permission to play somewhere

finding transportation

planning what to wear

being  on time

introducing themselves

and

remembering their music and instruments.

all of the money they earned

from passers-by

went to a local charity.

it was a beautiful lesson.

—

“music is the movement of sound

to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.”

– plato 

May27

work.

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“the supreme accomplishment

is to blur the line between work and play.”  

-arnold j. toynbee

May10

caring.

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the playground community

was worried

and

unsure what to do

how to help

there had been an accident

it had happened to one of their own

one’s hair somehow

got wound around

the button of another

the two involved 

sat down next to each other

(no other logistical choice really)

one put her arm around the other

one big one 

helped them to unwind it

one turned away

unsure how to help

one stood by

ready to help

one stood at a safe distance

watching closely

helping by being near

and

in the end

all was well

once more.

—

without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community.

anthony j. d’angelo

Mar31

“the belonging you seek is not behind you. it is ahead.” ― Star Wars: The Force Awakens

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the only remaining incan rope bridge

the Q’eswachaka rope bridge, suspended over the apurímac river in peru, is a piece of living history. it is the last of the rope bridges that once connected the incan road system, and dates back about five centuries. rebuilt from twisted cords of grass by residents each year, it is a piece of history that is not only still in use, but regularly renewed.

the bridge—spanning 118 feet and composed of local grasses—is remarkably sturdy: it can hold thousands of pounds of tension. but perhaps the most remarkable thing about the Q’eswachaka is the local community’s ongoing dedication to keeping it in working order.

 the bridge, though strong, only has a lifespan of one to two years before it begins to weaken. since the structure was first built nearly half a millennium ago, residents of nearby towns have fastidiously rebuilt it hundreds of times. they continue to rebuild it to this day, with each family contributing some 90 feet of rope.

—

“true belonging is born of relationships not only to one another

but to a place of shared responsibilities and benefits.

we love not so much what we have acquired

as what we have made and whom we have made it with.”

—robert finch

—

credits: atlas obscura, anna green, mental floss