Community

Community

I’ve been thinking about when and how we seek out community. I imagine that most people find their community in one of a few places – family, work, school, friends. I have watched parenting communities form in my Mama Talk and Baby Wearing Zumba classes, with moms sharing milestones and taking the friendships formed in the classroom out into the world. I am currently watching a wonderful community form among my bellydancers in three different classes and look forward to those communities growing as they each prepare for their performance in December.

I claim membership in several communities – dancers, doulas, parents, fitness professionals, Evanstonians, just to name a few. My newest community is that of Wild Tree Cafe dwellers. I find myself drawn to this space several times a week to sit, quietly, with my laptop open getting work done. My intention for coming to the cafe is to get work done – I seem to be far more productive in this space than I am at home, probably due to the fact that the only thing I can do is my work, while at home I have so many more things calling for my time and attention. What I get from spending time at the cafe is an unexpected sense of community. The same people seem to be there, depending on the day, each there for their own reasons. There is something comforting about seeing the same faces from week to week, even if I don’t engage in conversation with them (though the casual smile of recognition and the quick “hi, how are you” moments are nice, too).

Is this because I miss the office environment? I don’t think so – I love the variety of faces and places in my week and wouldn’t trade that in for anything. I think this is simply an example of human nature, and I love feeling this human.