The grocery store two days before Thanksgiving typically isn’t a pleasant place. I stopped by my local grocery on the way home last night to pick up supplies for homemade fudge and some random things that I needed to piece together meals for the next couple of weeks.
It was dusk when I arrived and dark by the time I made it to the front door. You see, I’m from a small town so it isn’t uncommon to run into people you know at the store. I ended up deeply entrenched in a conversation about how to address a community need and left with a few notes jotted on the back of my grocery list so I would remember to do some research when I got home.
By the time I made it through the store and encountered acquaintances in about half the aisles, I had several bags of items and it was completely dark outside. As I pushed my cart through the automatic doors, a blast of cool air hit my face, reminding me that it won’t be long before I’ll need to start actually putting on my coat instead of letting it ride around in the car. There are people in my community who will go without decent coats and shoes this winter and I briefly wondered what resources there are for those folks right now.
I rounded the corner to find an Amish buggy just a couple of spaces down from my White Lightening. The horse snorted and sighed and I could see warm breath rise from its nostrils. These are unexpectedly pleasant sounds and sights at unexpected times.
Another buggy was entering the parking lot as I exited, making me wonder how many Amish neighbors we now have and if there are things we ought to be doing as a community to make things safer and more welcoming for them. Do they feel as welcome as I do?
As a community member, I think it’s important to participate and to be useful in whatever way you can. That could be through monetary donations, volunteerism, or just making others feel like they belong. Is there a need in your community? Maybe you have a lonely neighbor or your church has ways for you to get involved to give back. There are tons of local nonprofits, schools and other groups that badly need volunteers. Maybe you can just smile and say a kind word to strangers.
Community is what you make it. Gandhi told us to “be the change you want to see in the world.” If we all worked a little harder to contribute here and there, this world would be a much better place.
This scene in Gambier, Ohio a couple of weeks ago was so enchanting I had to get a closer look.
The Amish do not want their picture taken and it’s important to respect that but I hope they don’t mind having pictures made of their buggies and goods. It was too pretty to resist.