I am a huge advocate of community.
The stronger the community - the better the quality of life.
I was on track to write a piece about volunteering and taking initiative to help the small and large things that affect our quality of life.
Small things like cleaning up a County owned property that has been forgotten about.
And bigger things, like volunteering time to read to children whose family had having a rough time and are trying to get back on their feet.
But I got side tracked.
I got side tracked while cleaning up the curb and sidewalk of a DeKalb County owned piece of property.
As I was shoveling dirt, leaves and silt from the curb, a passerby hollered, “About Time!”
Implying that I was a County employee, working on Sunday afternoon to finally clean up this lot.
That left a bitter taste in my mouth, thinking that they could have been complaining all this for a long time, but never took any initiative of their own to change it.
That’s fine, I wasn’t doing this for these folks, I am doing for the older lady who walks on this sidewalk, and the people of my neighborhood that appreciate community.
There were defiantly bright spots. I meet a neighbor who I see out and about, and we have a great conversation about the very topic of community, initiative, and trying to do good.
I wrapped up in about two hours and traveled home.
When I arrived home, I found that someone took six large landscaping rocks that I had at the foot of my driveway. These rocks were a part of my landscaping, and they are now gone.
What does community mean to you?
How do you take pride in your community?
How do you show your price in your community?
How can you help other see the value in community?
Thanks!