There are numerous types of communities.  The actual place or area where we live is one.  Think about it though, there are online communities, community organizations, and much more.  The word community is used quite often to discribe a group of people with like minded views, interests, opinions, or feelings.  What does the word community really mean though?  Have you taken the time to think about it?  In the world that we are living in today, community is a very important thing, but are we living like it is?  Is you community a place that you love and care about, and do you show others how much your care?  I took some time to ask people both in my physical community, the area which I live, and also online what the word community means to them to see just what it means to us.  Here are some of the answers.

“To me, a community is a group of people that care about each other.  People who take the time to know their neighbors, you know, find out who the people are that live around them.”  Jannah W.

“I love the idea of a community where I feel safe.  I want to be able to walk around safely and even know who all the other people that I am passing are.  I want to know their names and what they do.  Like in movies and old TV shows…I think it makes communities stronger when people know each other and feel good around the other residents.”  Shelia H.

“Community…it’s a place where you belong.  No matter what you do for a living, how much money you have, what you like to do on the weekends, you still feel at ease and a sense of belonging.”  James Y.

“LOL!  Community is that sense of belonging among people with common cultural features and goals.”  Mel Mc.

“A community is involved, caring, and has goals that you want to stand behind.”  Steve P.

There were many other incredible posts and answers to the question, “What does the word community mean to you?”  But, what it all came down to really was having a feeling of belonging.  So many people long to belong to a community, and know who it is that they belong with.  It seems like it is very important to people that we all take the time in our communities to know each other and reach out to each other.  So, let’s do just that.  Take the time to find out more about a person in your community.  Go to community functions or events, and participate.  The more involved you get, the more you’ll feel like you belong. Also, don’t be afraid to explore more international channels of communities. A community doesn’t just have to be those closest to you.