So Mecklenburg County has more than 860,000 people. If you are one of these residents, the question is how do you define your community? Do you see your community as the whole of Mecklenburg County? Maybe you see it by virtue of the city or town you live in within Mecklenburg County. Or is your community closer to your home, such as your neighorhood or even your street?
Now, when you think of being involved in your community, do you still think of it the way you may have answered above?
I believe most people think of their community — in terms of community involvement — as being the area close to their home. Maybe it’s their neighborhood or maybe it’s even just the few streets around there home where they might know people personally. But it’s this personal connection that drives how people define community, rather than some geographic area or some boundaries defined by governments. Do you see your community as Mecklenburg County, your city/town, your neighorhood, or something different?
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Community can be described using any, all, or none of the above geographic boundaries. However, I concur with what I perceive the blogger is suggesting: communities are more about interests first.
Community is where you frequent. Your church, your YMCA, your local mall, your neighborhood Swim & Racquet Club, your favorite restaurants Uptown, South Park, Dilworth, Ballantyne, NoDa, your favorite entertainment venues … Checkers Hockey @ TW Arena, Baseball @ Knights Castle, Concerts @ Verizon Pavillion. It’s up to the individual. Do they feel more comfortable spending the night out 10 minutes from their home or they willing to drive for 20 minutes and try a new restaurant or ride the Lynx for 15 minutes, depart & walk directly into TW Arena & enjoy an evening of sports or music.
“Community” can also be very fluid. I am in a “community” when I worship at my church, 30 minutes from my home, and not see those people again for a week. I am also in an online “community” when posting on this site which might be accessed in Denmark as well as Dilworth, or playing an internet game with people in Spain.