“Community doesn’t disappear all at once—it just forgets how to say hello.”
bb grey
What do you do to be involved in the community?
Start small. Smile. Make eye contact. Say hello. It sounds basic, but these days, it almost feels revolutionary.
Somewhere along the way—probably while we were busy downloading the next app for convenience—community got rebranded as something optional. We went from waving at neighbors on the porch to pulling into garages that swallow us whole, door closing behind us like a bunker hatch. Now, it’s Ring cameras, delivery drop-offs, landscapers mowing lawns we no longer walk across, and texts instead of door knocks. Honestly, sometimes I don’t even know who lives three doors down or what their voices sound like.
So, I go analog. I wave at people when I walk. I greet the checker at the grocery store like they’re a long-lost cousin. If I see a neighbor more than once, I ask their name—and then I use it, on purpose, every time I see them. It’s old-school magic. People light up when they hear their own name.
If I notice a package on a porch and they’re out of town, I text. If someone’s dragging a heavy box, I offer a hand. Garbage cans? I’ll pull them up to the house. Newspapers? I’ll scoot them closer to the door like some kind of neighborhood elf. These aren’t grand gestures—they’re just small ones that ripple outward.
And yeah, I show up to the farmers markets, parades, and the random town events that promise free lemonade and questionable cover bands. Why? Because staying connected isn’t just good for the community—it’s good for me. It gives me a sense of place, of presence. Of belonging.
Start small. Then ripple out. It’s not complicated—but it does take intention. And maybe a smile that says, “I see you.” Because sometimes, that’s all it takes to be part of something bigger.
BB Grey--musings 
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