Iola High School
Iola, Kansas
Teacher:  Loretta Arnold

The Power of Community
By:  Alisa Miller
12^th Grade

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.  I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.”

Playwright of the early 20^th century, George Bernard Shaw, said it correctly when talking about community.  Community is not just living in the same area as other people, but it is helping and supporting each other…through…thick and thin.  It is going through the same events, whether it is heartbreaking or magical.  It is being a shoulder to lean on or a high-five at the end of a big game.  Simply put, it is showing love.

Community can be seen on many different levels.  It can be as small as…your group of friends or as large as the world—maybe even the universe depending on your views of the extra terrestrial.  There are at least seven levels of community that should be felt:  the world, the national, the local, the nuclear family, the extended family, the ancestors, and close friends.  As long as one feels a connection with someone then it is a community.  I know that I feel community on all these levels in addition to other [levels].

Living on planet earth automatically makes us one large community.  I feel world community because we all have to go through the same experiences.  Global warming, wars, epidemics, and natural disasters are all…common concerns.  Even though we live thousands of miles apart, we help each other…when something happens.  Countries get together to do things to help others, such as sending relief money to a country hit by a massive tsunami.  Organizations are developed to [address worldwide issues].  One of my favorites is the Product (RED), an organization that formed together with major companies, such as Gap, to raise money in the fight against AIDS.

Patriotism—the love, support, and defense towards one’s country; this is the main reason why I feel national community.  We are a country that comes together to support each other even when the most terrible things happen.  Nine/eleven and Pearl Harbor are just two examples of this.  We are people who fought for freedom hundreds years ago and we still fight in order to keep it today.  We are a nation who is proud.

…When I go about the city of Iola, Kansas, I get a sense of support.  It is most clear when one looks at our schools.  When the girls’ basketball team made it to the state tournament, practically the whole town was there to cheer them on; and if they were not at the game, they were listening to it on the radio.  The whole town was covered with blue and gold—especially after the win.  It brought the community together.

Family is a type of community that could be easily overlooked.  I feel community in…my nuclear as well as my extended [family].  My nuclear family and I, we have to endure the same mishaps and celebrate the same blessings.  When one of our dogs died, we came together to help each other out.  That is how community is family, being there for one another.  My extended family is always there to comfort or support me.  I do not believe that my grandparents have missed a single one of my cross-country meets, basketball games, or track meets.  They are always there, cheering me on and showing how much they love me.

I always feel a special kind of community when it comes to my ancestors.  I always love hearing stories about my great-great-great uncle fighting in a war or how grandparents down the line met each other.  Though I do not know where all of my ancestors came from, I still feel a connection towards them when I see some of their belongings on our shelves at home.

“There are silver ships and gold ships, but there is no ship like friendship.”  This is a saying that [is meaningful] to me.  Without my friends, I would not be the person I am today.  We have created our own little community amongst ourselves.  We are always there to help each other out of those sticky situations we always seem to fall into.  It is nice to know that I belong to a mini-community, knowing that they have my back and I have theirs.  When I had to have surgery, every one of them who knew was extremely supportive. They made sure that I was all right, by showing that they loved me and that is what helped me through it.

A special community that not everyone can experience is the cross-country/track team.  It is one of the most supportive groups I belong to.  If my teammates are not running their own race, then they are out there next to the coaches and parents cheering the team on.  When I am having a tough time at practice, there is always someone beside me, pushing me to get through it.

Community is a powerful feeling.  It is the feeling of love, support, friendliness, and togetherness all mixed into one.  Without the sense of community, things would be hectic on all levels.  As long as we can feel connected in some way then community is here to stay.  Offering love towards one another is an easy way at going about it.  Just as the song goes, “Love, love will keep us together...” and so will community.

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