I was alone, unheralded, adrift, and couldn't even take my own advice, "A writer starts to write by writing." Instead, I focused on the words of James Joyce. When asked how he began to write he replied, "I stare at a blank page until my ears bleed."
Then, as I was closing my computer, heading to the hills, Providence intervened, the heavens parted and so did the sea, and there she stood like a miracle to me. It was Mrs. T (Emilie Toomarian), a neighbor. And she eloquently said, "Since my street is all tore up, I don't think you'll be able to bring your children to 'trick or treat.' Within the blink of an eye she handed me two delicious packages of candy. "This is for them," she said, "Happy Halloween."
This is it! This is worth writing about. It's community and I knew at that very moment, this is where I want to be.
The origin of the word community comes from the Latin, 'munus,' which means 'the gift;' and 'cum,' which means, together, among each other. Community then literally means "to give among each other." Thus, community is a group of people who share gifts. I knew studying Latin would eventually amount to something!
Mrs. T's gift of candy is a metaphor. Her actions have far reaching effects depicting not only what holds people together, but also what holds an individual together. Community initially arises from mutual interests and common aims. These pursuits are later strengthened by benevolent impulses that grow. The demands of community: friendship, loyalty, generosity, and assistance to the point of self-sacrifice, are potent encouragements to moral maturation and even ennoblement. It takes a dime to be decent and if done enough our community could amass a fortune.
