The Community of Us: An Essay

I recently wrote a thank you to my readers and I mentioned that we had become the community of US.  I described how we weren’t bound by borders or seas.  Since then, I have been thinking about what a community of Us would look like.   

I realized that I have never seen a town or a settlement called Us.  I’ve seen other names describing the place where it is hoped that people live wonderful lives, such as Pleasantville, Hope, Wrightsville and many other such names.  But, why haven’t I heard of a place called Us?  I did a Google search and found no Us.   

Perhaps, it is because no group of place namers wants any of us to ever get the opinion that we are a community of us.  There have been communes where groups of people intentionally decided that they were going to share everything.  I have neither lived in one nor know much about them, except how they are depicted in the media--usually after something terrible has happened.   

Are there communities of us even if they are not named that?  I hope so.  When I briefly described us, a writer and readers, as a community I believe we are.  We can, however, feel secure in this community of Us, because we have privacy and anonymity.   

But, why are there no geographic places named Us?  I think that is because it would send people the wrong message.  It would signify that anyone who lived in or moved to such a place would belong there just because they were there.  It would mean that it did not matter what gender or sexual orientation you are.  It would be all right whatever your race is or what country you came from.  In fact, when you got to Us you would automatically be welcomed and embraced.   

Are you, like me, seeing the problem here?  If we lived in Us would that mean that our neighbors would all be our friends?  Would it feel totally natural to accept each of us as we are?  What about persons with disabilities--any kind of disabilities?  Um, that would require a lot from the citizens of Us.   

What about our neighbors knowing our business and borrowing our things?  Could they just come onto “our” property and get whatever they wanted or needed without even thinking about asking our permission?   

There are many things about Us that I would like.  I would have no problem with gender, or gender orientation, or race, or nationality or disability.  I would not mind living close to persons who have committed crimes--we do anyway--just so long as they have changed their lives and no longer intended to engage in such ways.  Perhaps they, and all of us, would act better if we were truly folded into a community.   

I would, being totally honest, have some problems living in the town of Us.  There are people whom I would not welcome and things I would not like, because there are some people whom I do not like, either because of their behaviors or because of their personalities.   

Also, I am a private person.  I do not tell people my business or ask them theirs.  I do not always feel like being social.  Perhaps all our issues would not prevent there from being the community of Us, because those matters could be resolved by being respectful of our neighbors and their personal needs and they in turn being respectful of mine.   

Maybe there is no community of Us, because no one would really move to such a place.  An open and caring place.  Maybe, all of us know that if there was such a place as Us it would really be just in name only, because of who we are.   

 

I do not know if I could adapt and learn to live in the town of Us.  I would like to think so.  However, I know one thing for certain—I would never want to live in a town called, and meaning, “Just Us.”   A place welcoming no one after I got there.  Closing the door.  But wait, aren’t there many places that are in reality Just Us no matter the actual name of those towns or those places?  If we find ourselves in Just Us would we seek directions, and follow the road and move to Us?   

©Patty F. Cooper, Elizabethton, Tennessee   July 7^th, 2014

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