Community | New Canaan, CT

A group of Wake Foresters gathered over dinner in New Canaan, CT on April 9, 2019 to discuss Community.

Overview and highlights of our Call to Conversation:

• We spoke about the feeling of connectivity and sharing similar values as a central theme for many of our personal reflections. Team sports and the importance of developing a sense of unified goals, was one example many of us could relate to. The importance of feeling accepted and valued as part of something larger than oneself was also apparent within many comments shared.
• We discussed the difficulty that often comes when someone feels forced or expected to be part of a group or community, when they do not feel comfortable in doing so. How do we manage to look beyond our daily routines and think outside the bubble we feel comfortable living in?
• It was clear from some of our discussion that it can be difficult to dictate a sense of community or fabricate common goals, when it does not develop in a more natural way. The example of trying to encourage students to eat together at lunch, compared to the communal goals associated with an athletic contest or theatre production were mentioned. It all seems to come back to a sense of connection and shared expectations amongst a group of individuals. We also acknowledged the importance of looking outside yourself, to better appreciate a larger, more global community.
• We all seemed to agree it is important, at every stage of life, to feel connected to others and experience the positive nature of a community. The emotions linked to the feeling of being isolated and not connected to others, was a clear negative in regard to experiencing a positive life.