"I started learning hand sewing through our local Steiner playgroup, and I discovered that making bread is one of the easiest things in the world." I loved reading this! I had a peripatetic childhood, but my favorite school I ever went to was a Steiner school in Sydney♥️🙏🕊️
Gabrielle, I am so happy to find this article and your work. Substack is so funny in this way because I was looking for this information, but hadn't actually needed to tell anyone or search for it. I'm thinking of this as a reference guide/map for myself. And will read and re-read. Deeply grateful.
Yes to all of this! I’ve found a lot of similar truths in my practices of community around me. Community to me is just about building relationships and showing up for the people around you. We’re the new kids on the blocks in my neighborhood, and so I’ve just made excuses to go door to door to meet my neighbors (holiday cookies, potluck invites,ect) and have already had some meaningful interaction. Sometimes it just takes being brave and stepping outside your comfort zone do be neighborly. Maybe it’s a Midwest American thing, but everyone has always been kind (or at least tolerant 😂) of me approaching them.
Thanks Gabrielle! I so appreciate the concise, tangible list. It does feel like “community”, in the truest sense, is some overwhelming, almost forgotten, concept. This is indicative of the world we’ve created and inhabit, and deserves much grief, but it’s also kind of ridiculous right? Like… *just say hello to someone* lol. But seriously, being able to see it from that perspective matters and is manageable. (So yes, let’s see how I do!)
You really know what you're talking about here, and so few people do these days. I have lived in the same rural neighborhood for 40 years here in Tennessee. Some of the people who were here in the 80s are still here, but very old. One of those people, Joe, treated me very badly from 2008-2012: he relentlessly harassed me sexually, as did his male friends in the neighborhood. One of those other men died. Joe almost died. After he almost died, he started treating me a little better. (One of the other harassers left the 'hood, but his sometimes-pretty-bad son remains.)
The funny thing is, until 2008, we had been friends. For over 20 years. Then suddenly things changed, probably because of American politics. But then they changed back! What I learned is: wait it out. People advised me to leave during that awful period when I was almost too afraid to walk in my own neighborhood. But I had a right to be here, and I stayed, and the most dangerous men left, and the sort of bad ones got too old to really be a problem any more.
Things are always changing, and new people come, and old people leave. Some of the new people may be better. You may form lifelong friendships with some of these people; and then suddenly, one of them may go crazy, start drinking and driving drunk, and waving pistols around. (Maybe not in Tasmania!)
You definitely don't have to talk about politics, ever. It's better not to.
I genuinely printed this out on actual paper, and have read it 3-4x. I have notes scribbled in the margins. I am in central Texas/USA, but identify with some many aspects of city to more rural life/living. I also am toying with many local community ideas and so needed to read "Start Where You are" in deep ways I couldn't express until today. Thank you, Gabrielle!
Thank you for these words. Whenever I hear the advice to start building networks in the neighborhood I always feel sad because the majority of our neighbors have different political views than us and I just assumed would not be interested in building community in this way, but I was encouraged by your words and story. Even if it feels superficial at first, I feel motivated to try. Thank you!
"I started learning hand sewing through our local Steiner playgroup, and I discovered that making bread is one of the easiest things in the world." I loved reading this! I had a peripatetic childhood, but my favorite school I ever went to was a Steiner school in Sydney♥️🙏🕊️
I took my son to a toddler playgroup at a Steiner school when he was little and have such fond memories and also learned wonderful skills.
Gabrielle, I am so happy to find this article and your work. Substack is so funny in this way because I was looking for this information, but hadn't actually needed to tell anyone or search for it. I'm thinking of this as a reference guide/map for myself. And will read and re-read. Deeply grateful.
Yes to all of this! I’ve found a lot of similar truths in my practices of community around me. Community to me is just about building relationships and showing up for the people around you. We’re the new kids on the blocks in my neighborhood, and so I’ve just made excuses to go door to door to meet my neighbors (holiday cookies, potluck invites,ect) and have already had some meaningful interaction. Sometimes it just takes being brave and stepping outside your comfort zone do be neighborly. Maybe it’s a Midwest American thing, but everyone has always been kind (or at least tolerant 😂) of me approaching them.
Thanks Gabrielle! I so appreciate the concise, tangible list. It does feel like “community”, in the truest sense, is some overwhelming, almost forgotten, concept. This is indicative of the world we’ve created and inhabit, and deserves much grief, but it’s also kind of ridiculous right? Like… *just say hello to someone* lol. But seriously, being able to see it from that perspective matters and is manageable. (So yes, let’s see how I do!)
You really know what you're talking about here, and so few people do these days. I have lived in the same rural neighborhood for 40 years here in Tennessee. Some of the people who were here in the 80s are still here, but very old. One of those people, Joe, treated me very badly from 2008-2012: he relentlessly harassed me sexually, as did his male friends in the neighborhood. One of those other men died. Joe almost died. After he almost died, he started treating me a little better. (One of the other harassers left the 'hood, but his sometimes-pretty-bad son remains.)
The funny thing is, until 2008, we had been friends. For over 20 years. Then suddenly things changed, probably because of American politics. But then they changed back! What I learned is: wait it out. People advised me to leave during that awful period when I was almost too afraid to walk in my own neighborhood. But I had a right to be here, and I stayed, and the most dangerous men left, and the sort of bad ones got too old to really be a problem any more.
Things are always changing, and new people come, and old people leave. Some of the new people may be better. You may form lifelong friendships with some of these people; and then suddenly, one of them may go crazy, start drinking and driving drunk, and waving pistols around. (Maybe not in Tasmania!)
You definitely don't have to talk about politics, ever. It's better not to.
The social life you have in person is the one that counts.
🙏🏻 beautifully written. Thank you.
I genuinely printed this out on actual paper, and have read it 3-4x. I have notes scribbled in the margins. I am in central Texas/USA, but identify with some many aspects of city to more rural life/living. I also am toying with many local community ideas and so needed to read "Start Where You are" in deep ways I couldn't express until today. Thank you, Gabrielle!
Thanks Gabrielle, this is a nudge I needed to hear.
Thank you for these words. Whenever I hear the advice to start building networks in the neighborhood I always feel sad because the majority of our neighbors have different political views than us and I just assumed would not be interested in building community in this way, but I was encouraged by your words and story. Even if it feels superficial at first, I feel motivated to try. Thank you!