Conscious Connections & Creating Community

Spectacle of Saints asked guest blogger, 

Josh Richardt, to expound on the topic of 

how to build community after living in community during a year of service, once that year of service ends. How does one replace the community they have become accustomed to and learned to lean on? Marianist PULSE is grateful to Josh for sharing these thoughts.

Josh is currently the City Connects Coordinator at Catholic Central in Springfield for grades Preschool - 5.

Recently, Yes! Magazine came out with a thought-provoking editorial cartoon on the power of neighbors who borrow from one another. The main idea of the piece is that we can cultivate a spirit of community and connection in our neighborhoods by having the courage to depend on each other, even for small things like borrowing a ladder or a cup of sugar. These repeated connections have positive ripple effects on our emotional health and feeling of belonging. 

JVC volunteers

After reading this, though, my mind kept coming back to the character staring in the mirror practicing introducing himself. That has definitely been me, at times. While during a year of service the intentional community is built in, after moving into adulthood we have to craft it for ourselves. The skill of creating a community in your own neighborhood takes practice, and can sometimes feel awkward. It made me think about my year living in Detroit, after finishing my time with the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. 

I had spent my JVC year working at a crisis counseling center. Towards the end of that year, I found an exciting job with the Matrix Theatre Company as the coordinator for an after-school kids theater program and decided to stay in Detroit for another year. That time in my life was a bizarre mixture of emotions as my community - with whom I was so tightly interconnected - packed up to travel back home. I had double dip feelings, of being at ease yet somehow overwhelmed as I navigated finding a place for myself and needing to rebuild social structures. It was a rare moment when the social tools in my toolbox wouldn't get the job done. I needed to do some personal stretching and growing.

I realized it took a targeted 5-10 minutes of courage to branch out and make connections. Although it was awkward, I told myself I could get through those 5-10 awkward minutes and that I needed to do it. So, I joined a new prayer group. I found a Wednesday night guitar circle near my apartment, with a set of older gentlemen who became a sounding board and home base for me. Overall during that year, I was able to connect and create a small community with other theater members and artists. It was tough to leave at the end of that year, to head towards graduate school in another state.

Now back in Dayton - almost ten years later - I can look back and say those moments of choosing the courage to connect have gotten easier. When my wife Suzy and I moved into our house in South Park, we deliberately chose a place to live in Dayton where neighbors are active and want to connect with each other. Attending a few neighborhood association meetings to introduce ourselves quickly got us connected with other folks who were doing lots of interesting projects like garden tours, Shakespeare in the Park, and community social events. We've found neighbors who open up their porches to us and we do our best to reciprocate. 

Outside our neighborhood, we were able to plug into a few existing intentional communities that feed our sense of belonging in Dayton. Through reconnecting with some old friends, my wife and I joined a Lay Marianist group that we've loved being a part of, kind of our "local family." Suzy was lucky to make friends through work who invited us into their weekly breakfast meetups, and that's been another anchor in our connection to Dayton. More recently I've been exploring the local community theater scene through auditioning for a show here and there. 

I can't say I've found a silver bullet to community building, but maybe some silver buckshot. It's being open and saying yes to invitations, putting yourself out there, even just a little bit. And yes, it's going around and sometimes being the first to start that somewhat awkward hello with neighbors. But I've found each of these conscious choices does help build a foundation for community and start those positive ripple effects.  

Go put yourself out there.
Josh