People in the green movement talk a lot about “creating community” as path toward sustainability and eco-friendly living.
But what does that mean exactly?
Well, last week, I met a woman who shared some truly practical paths toward community, something that has always felt like an awfully fuzzy concept to me. Marilene Richardson, featured in The Herald’s Living section today, is trying to live a rich, full, authentic and green life in rural Snohomish with her husband, Brian, 46, and their children, Sofia, 10, and Simon, 6.
Richardson, who is involved with the local group Green Everett, said creating community is simply a matter of opening yourself up to meeting new people and getting to know people, especially your neighbors, a little bit better. It’s about sharing talents, knowledge and cultures in a very deliberate way.
When Richardson, 41, meets new neighbors, she brings over a baked treat and says it simply: “We are very open to community. We would like to do things together.”
The Richardsons also have a “How to Build Community” poster on their wall that lists all the little things you can do to open yourself up to the people in your world. Some of the seemingly random ideas include the smallest of gestures: “Put up a swing. Help carry something heavy. Start a tradition. Ask a question. Hire young people for odd jobs. Organize a block party. Bake extra and share. Turn up the music. Turn down the music.”
You can read the entire list of tips here. You can buy the poster here. It’s pretty cool, perhaps even life changing.
I think, in a nutshell, it’s about facing the fact that we’re all on this planet together whether we like it or not. We might as well work together, right?
Though I don’t have the deep connections to the world that the Richardsons already enjoy, I have had fun getting to know my neighbors in the past few years. We don’t ever have dinner together, but we probably should. Instead, we trade tomatoes and neighborhood news. One morning at 7 a.m., I was able to borrow a blow dryer for a friend who was visiting and going to a job interview. It was a little thing, but it was incredibly helpful. I was able to return the favor the next week when the same neighbor needed us to watch for a package for her.
Even though we don’t have all that much in common with our neighbors, those interactions have all made me feel a little less alone in this great, big world. Maybe that’s the point.
Richardson was particularly thankful for her neighbors during a recent power transformer explosion near their home. Seeing the commotion, which included a fire, their neighbors came over quickly to see if they were OK or if they could help. It gave Richardson a good feeling.
Her neighborhood also banded together during 16 days without power last winter, which made a tough situation easier. Later this month, Richardson and her family will host a cider pressing party with local apples.
“We try to bring people together,” Richardson said, adding that a truly diverse mix of friends adds a beautiful richness to life — and makes living green much easier. “I strongly believe people feel like they want to belong.”
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