In a recent discussion with an individual, the idea of belonging to a community arose. It was explained that while raised in one cultural community, they felt drawn further away from that community the older they got. Furthermore, searching for belonging in a new community was a challenge as some “inclusive” communities are actually quite “exclusive.” This being the case for this individual, we discussed the idea of being a community of ONE.
What if we each considered ourselves an individual, independent community? Most of us come from diverse backgrounds, to which I mean that our families are not all from one culture, religion, or race. Which obviously describes that you or I, as an individual, are not from one single culture, one single religion, or one single race, but rather a combination - a melting pot, if you will.
That being said, individually we could be a community of one. Where we don’t quite belong to any one community, and do not feel the pressure to belong to any one community. That we can freely travel amongst various communal environments, creating connections with - GASP! - people. Simply … people. Not any one particular individual, but a collective of individuals. Not strictly those people who are part of this community, or that community, but a group of individuals that are, by their choice, from any or all communities.
This individual explained that they did not feel that they wanted to be pigeon-holed into a single community and forced to then only associate with that community or with individuals from that community. Why can’t they be considered more “worldly” and belong to multiple communities, with friends in each?
Our conversation ended with a definitive decision that while you may include yourself in various communities, you can also be a community of ONE. A melting pot of your family history, your experiences, and which community you choose to be a part of at that time, on that day. Whether that be one or many.
