Community
I went to a book club last night, as a reader. Now, the last time I attended a book club, I really didn’t enjoy it for a variety of reasons, so I left. But that was more than 25 years ago and things—and I—change. So, when I saw that our new temple had a book club, I decided it might be a good way for me to meet people.
Turns out, I was right. The people who attended were lovely, I didn’t hate the book—a huge improvement over my last book club, where every book was an Oprah pick and they were all the exact same thing just with different character names—and I can see myself being friendly with many of them. I even remember their names!
It’s a great start to building my community. When my husband and I decided to find a new synagogue, our most important fact was the services and the vibe. We decided to move very slowly. Last year was all about attending services and see how we liked it. We did, so we joined, met the rabbi and cantor, and attended often enough where we now feel comfortable in the sanctuary. This year, though, is about community. We are determined to try out different groups to see where we fit in. Worst case, we only attend services, but I suspect we will find people we enjoy attending activities with.
It’s similar, in a way, to how I create communities in my romances. I write small towns, similar to Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow or a random Hallmark town, but hopefully more diverse. And when I create the town and the people who live there, I put a lot of thought into chemistry, activities, diversity and how things will meld or not. Sometimes I don’t want things to be perfect. Other times, I do. Usually, I just want groups to get along enough to come to each other’s aid when someone needs them.
They’re a family. Definitely not perfect. Kind of crazy and awkward. But family.
What do you look for in your community?