Community

Sometimes I really hate Idaho. The blistering hot summers, the nasty cold winters, the complete lack of precipitation, the raging fires and corresponding smoke in the summers. Couple that with the fact that it's the most remote capital city in the 48 states and toss in the part about being young...

It translates to me watching most of my friends move through the transitional phase of life by moving out of mine. I have roots here--my family lives here. Brent's family lives here. What we lack in mobility we make up in stability. I have a safety net for emotional, financial, or physical needs.

I guess it always amuses me when I hear the trendy leaders of the day harp on "community" over and over. The people who talk about it most understand it the least. Community isn't something you just make. It's something that's woven together, year after year, generation by generation. You don't just get a group of people together and say "Voila! Community!"

Instead, it's built around those roots that hold me down. I realize I may never live outside of this valley of irritating temperature extremes and piss poor air quality. I know my friends have cool adventures in new places and never come back. I also know that the level of stability I have here is something a transient lifestyle will never accommodate.

I hate being hot all the time in the summer and cold all the time in the winter, but I'm surrounded by a group of people that faces the same challenges beside me. Our shared struggles build bonds that electronic communication and world travelling can never touch.