Community and Celebration
I think I first learned the oxymoron “mandatory fun” when I was an RA. When you work in a large organization, there can be a long list of events that might be classified as mandatory fun at this time of year. Of course, as is true of so many things, one person’s mandatory fun is another’s great party or at least an informal, relaxed time to visit with colleagues and friends. Even some family events can be both mandatory fun for some and important times to connect and reconnect with family and friends for others.
I’ve never been fond of mandatory fun, but I do understand its purpose. In my different leadership positions, it was important that I show up for events. Even though my introversion also had me wishing I didn’t have to go, once I got there, I enjoyed the chance to meet with people informally whether we talked shop or chatted. When we scheduled social events for our part of the organization, there were some people for whom attendance was mandatory – senior leaders. I saw being present informally as part of the work of leaders. But for everyone else, it was not mandatory. I never kept role or sign up lists. These were events to celebrate the work we did, to give us time to develop community across organizational lines and, when designed well, to have fun.
Right now, I believe we need to find more and different ways to bring people together, to celebrate, to create community. We need to help people find points of connection along with our celebrations of our different life experiences. As you move through the year end celebrations, I encourage you to think of them as opportunities for community development whether it’s your event or someone else’s you are attending. If you enjoy such events, by all means enjoy them. But if you struggle with them, thinking of them as ways to bring people together, to connect with others, might make it feel more worthwhile.
In a few weeks, in the New Year, what are the ways you can imagine building community and celebrating existing communities? Below is a link to an older article about a Naomi Shihab Nye story and some ideas for simple ways we can build community any day, any place.
This will be the final newsletter of 2024. I hope you enjoy all the moments of this year’s end and of the New Year’s beginning. If you aren’t enjoying them, what can you create that you and family and friends will find fun?
See you in the New Year!
Take care,
Gage
https://onbeing.org/blog/five-simple-things-to-reweave-our-civic-community/