Community | Portland, OR
A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in Portland, OR on November 9, 2018 to discuss Community.
Overview:
- WakePortland spoke from our hearts about how people – both work and personal – have supported, cared for and trusted us; allowing us to develop meaningful relationships that have benefited and enriched our lives.
Highlights:
- We agreed that each of us is grateful for those people in our communities and lives that have helped us, mentored us, and given to us. This has shaped us to be trusting individuals and has helped us assume the best in others. We know that “community makes us who we are.”
- But, we acknowledged that Communities are not overlapping, they are becoming more distinct.
- We questioned our national and political leaders — is distrust of the media helpful to developing community? Can you have mutual and developing respect from an advocate to a consumer, and vice versa? Can we/should we “afflict the comfortable” as well as “comfort the afflicted”?
- We agreed to develop the WakePortland Community through shared experiences, volunteer opportunities and conversation. This parent & alumni community will provide new perspectives to us, help us feel safe, and will allow us to continue to welcome others to our community.
- At a deeper level, can our Portland Community, or others, identify the empathy in people, to help change the tone of our conversations?
- Let’s continue to let our toughest days be our best work – in, with and to our Portland Community – helping to make Wake Forest more known in PDX.