The Story of Community

We're living in a world of chaos. That's what Gavin Heaton says in his authored biography. Chaos is not necessarily a bad thing-- it precedes breakthrough in the creative process.

Chaos is all right to work with if you are anchored to a core set of values, and you have chosen to live the story that best serves and realizes those values.

Gavin is a storyteller, so he knows that a key component of a memorable story is how it connects with another person or group. Story is the emotional space between us. It creates affiliation (Lat. affiliate = adopt or receive into a family).

Sometimes we fail to recognize the structural and personal connections we have with others, the roles that place us in a common group and that can make it easy for us to build a bridge to the other. For most people in the world, a human being is not simply a set of skills on a biography or opinions on a blog-- at least it should not be just that.

Chaos is easier to deal with when we can reach out and reduce the personal distance between each other. Meeting in person is one way of doing that, and so is discussing things you care about, as we do in our blogs. We can also reduce our personal distance by making ourselves indebted to the other.

Gavin understands and communicates that through his work. Can we? David Armano at Logic+Emotion and Christina Kerley at CK's Blog provided an ample demonstration that we can. Every time we choose to reduce the personal distance between us, by whichever means are available at the moment, we make contact with those characteristics that make us all belong to the same family-- humankind.

Making ourselves indebted to the other requires action. David and CK provided suggestions to that effect. Cam Beck found an opportunity to contribute.

Maybe you don't know Gavin and the accident that injured his father-in-law's friends. I would venture that you still care. Just before Christmas I heard on the news that a car hit a little girl who had received her bicycle as an early gift from her parents and was riding it around her neighborhood. The family went from happy to having a daughter in a coma within a few short minutes.

Life is fragile, and *we* can do something about it. By remembering to slow ourselves down when we drive, even if we're running late. By focusing on using our emotions to do good, even when we do not have the physical means. By forging connections with others willingly, even when we feel the need to be the lead character.

By changing our story from one of scarcity to one of abundance, even in the face of all the evidence that would have it the other way.

Comments

[david armano]

Wonderful post Valeria. I especially appreciate your theme of "reducing the personal distance".

This is the true potential that social media holds. The potential to turn connections into relationships.

If brands are to learn one thing from all this social activity, it is just that--they need to go from building connections with consumers to nurturing real relationships.

Or as you put it so simply "reducing personal distance".

Let's hope Noel and the others recover fully.

[gianandrea facchini]

reducing personal distance is a great definition. and it's the reason why i feel the power of this community. thanks, valeria.
ti auguro buone feste. le passi in italia?

[CK]

Thank you for this post...and for this tremendous line:

"By changing our story from one of scarcity to one of abundance, even in the face of all the evidence that would have it the other way."

This was a generous post in its teachings. You now have a whole new fan (and friend, too).

[Valeria Maltoni]

DA, Gianandrea, CK -- this is what community is all about. Taking the time to discover the treasures in our midst and appreciate how much they give us-- I'm talking about Gavin.

Thank you for enriching this conversation in so many ways that speak of who you are.

[Gavin Heaton]

Valeria ... thanks for your kind words and eloquence. I am with DA -- love "reducing the personal distance".