Nobody thought much about the front porch when most Americans had them and used them. The great American front porch was just there, open and sociable, an unassigned part of the house that belonged to everyone and no one, a place for family and friends to pass time. Rochlin, “The Front Porch” in Home, Sweet […]

As I walked into GNC, I was looking for something specific. I was out of town so this was not my normal store. I was greeted by a jolly “How’s it goin’?”
“Doing well,” I replied.
Not missing a beat, I went on with my search. I did make eye contact and I didn’t want […]

Delta flight 251 from LAX to Atlanta was crammed to the gills. Just as I was settling into my seat, the person next to me, a young African-American woman, smiled and said “hello.” (Nearly everyone is friendlier since 9-11. People want to know if their fellow passengers are safe and or not.)
Petite and pretty, Sheila […]

Community, as we discussed in part I, is a complex creature. One reason it is complex are the myriad misconceptions surrounding the topic. What follows are three more myths of belonging.
More personality = more belonging
Many people believe that some have a natural ability to belong. They assume that if a person is more gregarious, more […]

Community is a complex creature. Many factors contribute to finding successful community. With the erosion of the geographically close family and the heightened mobility of our culture, many people struggle to learn healthy competencies for community.
Schools, service agencies, churches, and other organizations are making a concerted effort to help. Yet several common myths surround the […]