Forging a rural community

I'm aware that most of my writing over the past several months has been hijacked by a miniature person in footy pajamas, so I wanted to take a moment (now that I've got one) to write about community. Honestly, I've rarely been without a loving circle of family, friends and loved ones firmly lodged in place all around me. As many of you know, I was born into a communal household, and enjoyed several second homes within walking distance where the doors were never locked. I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that when you've always had these kinds of relationships, it's really easy to take them for granted when you move ahead into new territory.

All of that said, I have been grateful for my time here in rural Wisconsin because I believe it has forced me to get out to create and foster community in ways I've never had to do before, and this has grown me as a person. Last year I was happy to hunker down in my introverted way, taking long nature walks by myself and pondering my newest transcendentalist philosophical leanings, but having Owain has given me an incentive to start really getting to know the people around me. I've realized that not only do I need the support and infrastructure this kind of knitting-together brings, but I desire for Owain the same kind of community I myself had.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a neighborhood holiday party here at the farm. I don't want to toot our respective horns, but I must say that it was a wild success. It was at this party that I finally began to feel the neighbors really let their guard down with us (the rum and spiced cider helped); I felt a genuine sense of warmth and trust that I hadn't completely felt until now. When we talked to our neighbor Ilene a while ago, she said that back in the days of the one room school house, the community was together on a regular basis, whether it was for school or church functions, or helping each other plant or harvest or hay, or what have you. These days, I'm realizing, with larger schools that are farther away and all kinds of new technologies and tractors, we don't really need each other in those ways, but we still need each other. My determined charge to myself and the farm is to be actively supporting the community we wish to achieve.

Love and lighter, longer days to all,

Charis