Creating Community

When the gathering happens, we all come together from our scattered lives to form one big, messy community. But how does that work?  How do we create a community of equals from all the individual "I"s that show up?

Here are some musings on how I and others I know have created community. You may have different ideas.

Find your tribe. The annual gathering over July 4 is a "gathering of the tribes."  There are many tribes with different vibes. While all the tribes are my family and I love them all, I like some of the tribes more than others.

Finding a tribe can be random: you bump into someone on the trail, a conversation starts, and you feel connected in the heart.

Finding a tribe can be intentional: wander around the gathering, stop in at different camps and talk to people, feel the vibe in that camp and fall in love or at least connect with people who grock you.

Finding a tribe can come out of shared workshops, late night drum circles, Shanti Sena movies, finding a lost kid, or being introduced to someone by a friend of a friend.

Finding a tribe can be learning to love the people in your physical space no matter how much they drive you crazy.

Once you've found your tribe at the gathering, you have a found a community within a community. These communities connect with each other sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly, forming a web of communities that provide nourishment, love, entertainment, company, and meaning in our lives.

Communities are what holds the gathering together. Some communities are small, maybe three to five people who camp together, others are large and sprawling like Kid Village. No matter what kind of a community you participate in, your contributions are critical to creating and maintaining that community. Sharing your music, your labor, your art, your poetry -- all these things create and enhance community and make the magic that is the gathering.

When coming home for the first time, all of this may be overwhelming and it may take many gatherings before you find that community that truly fits you. No worries. People move from one camp to another quite often. One day or one gathering you can camp at Iris, then the next day or the next gathering you can move to Taco Mama.  The choice is yours.

No matter which community, tribe, or camp is the one that calls your heart, try to accept help from your tribe and try to give help to your tribe. Together we can weave a strong family.