Reverb 10 - Community

Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

I live in a suburb with a population of 200 thousand. The greater metro area has two million. I therefore find it rather amazing that I often find myself feeling like I live in a small town. I know a lot of people through church, my kids’ schools and sports teams, my book group, and my job. Each of these groups provides me with a sense of community. But the surprising place that I feel a part of a small town in my local Target SuperCenter.

Who doesn’t love Target? It’s just a mile from my house and I often find myself there a couple of times a week, darting in for an item to finish making dinner, a desperately needed school supply, or a prescription.

When I visit Target it is almost guaranteed that I’ll run into somebody I know. I’ve even run into people who live 20 or 30 minutes away. Drop by there at three thirty on any given afternoon you’ll have no idea our country has been in a recession. I’ve given up on running down there without makeup or in grungy clothes. I hate the feeling of running into one of the “together” women from my neighborhood in their current fashion clothes and their perfect hair-dos when I look like I just crawled out of the gutter.

I hear that men’s rooms have a strict eye-avoidance policy. The same hold true at Target, no eyeing each other’s junk ..only in our case, it’s in our shopping carts. It’s really impossible not to glance in as you stand in aisle three talking about last night’s swim meet. Do I have too much junk food? Is he making tacos tonight? Is she buying laxatives? Worse of all, don’t get caught buying new underwear when you run into the hunky sports coach!

We’re guilty of blocking the aisles with our carts as we discuss the latest rumors from the school, the next sporting event, or “where have you been hiding yourself?” We hear the three minute summary of what’s been going on in each other’s lives since we last had occasion to sit and chat. Vacations, remodels and new jobs get trotted out to be shown off, then you touch on how big the their kids have gotten and is Johnny driving yet? Then suddenly you realize you’re blocking the shopping traffic and you’re going to be late for carpool.

Next comes the awkward break-up. After catching up, you each have to go your own way. And yet you continue run in to each other as you weave through the dry-goods. Do you say “hi” again? Grin and giggle? Avert your eyes? What happens if you end up in adjacent check-out lines and your “junk” is now on display?

For all the introverted drawbacks, the whole thing makes you feel like you live in a small community and I love it.