Bridging Gaps in Our Lives: The True Meaning of Community in Our Small Town
The ponds and waterfalls my granddaughter and I built in our Aguanga backyard
Did you grow up here in the Snowflake-Taylor area? Did you move here from somewhere else? I moved here after looking at a LOT of different places before deciding on Snowflake for my new home. I’ve been asked, “How did you ever pick Snowflake when you could have moved anywhere?” That’s a really good question!
I moved all over the east and midwest when I was growing up. My dad was a manufacturing and processing engineer for many electrical motor companies. I joked that we were “migrant manufacturers”! Dad’s expertise was helping with factory expansions and equipment acquisition. He’d work with the company’s people to plan and implement the expansion, help them with any new equipment they needed and had budgeted for, assured the physical plant was reinforced appropriately for the weight of the equipment that was being ordered, helped them get things up and running, trained the foremen and leads on how it all worked, them we moved on to the next opportunity. We moved every 2 to 4 years, where I got to meet new people from new locations. I went to 11 different schools, including kindergarten.
With all that moving, I developed skills to make it easier for me to fit in quickly, make friends, and learn where things were located and how the community worked as a whole. Kind of like mental unpacking and sorting.
As an adult, I chose to live in Hayward, Wisconsin (where my grandparents settled in the late 40’s). It was a beautiful area with lots of forests, lakes, and rivers. I lived in the area for 6 years before moving. Why? The economy depended on tourism and logging, neither of which were my dream life. So my toddler son and I packed up and flew to Southern California. We stayed with my aunt and uncle in the San Fernando Valley for a short time before settling in Aguanga, a rural town of 50 in the foothills of the Cleveland National Forst and Palomar Mountain range. Aguanga was a good fit, I met my husband there, raised my family, and stayed there for over 40 years!!
It was getting time to decide whether to stay in Aguanga (all of So Cal had grown, including Aguanga) or look for someplace else to retire. We researched different areas online, then drove to check them out. Northern Arizona, Southern Utah, Southern Colorado, Northern New Mexico… I looked for things like how well the town was cared for, what healthcare services were nearby, how friendly the people were, and what kind of shopping and entertainment activities were available?
As we were driving around the White Mountains of Arizona, we noticed plenty of the original homes from when the area was settled, all very well cared for. The biggest thing I noticed in Snowflake-Taylor was that people waved and smiled, whether we were walking, driving, or in line somewhere. After living in the same place for 40-some years, where I knew just about everyone, it was a nice surprise to find another small town that was so friendly and welcoming.
Merriam-Webster defines community as follows:
community, noun, com·mu·ni·ty kə-ˈmyü-nə-tē , plural communities
1 a unified body of individuals: such as
a: the people with common interests living in a particular area
… there was to be a school party on Saturday night for the entire community.—Richard Peck
broadly: the area itself
… Linfield, a farming community about seven miles away.—James McBride
b: a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society
a community of retired persons
a monastic community
c: a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society
the academic community
the scientific community
That kind of success has a ripple effect in the creative community.—Vivian Song
d: a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests
the international community
ethnic communities
The series won acclaim … for its affectionate portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community …—Lisa Respers France
e: a group linked by a common policy
f: an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (such as species) in a common location
a diverse community of microorganisms
… an impressive plant community of marshes, cattail stands, bulrush beds and mesquite bosques …—Jake Frederico
g: a political unit (such as a nation or state) : commonwealth
2 a: a state or feeling of caring about and wanting to interact with others in a group
The school encourages a sense of community in its students.
This joy and community is what brings people back year after year to our city.—Meredith Perkins
b: joint ownership or participation
community of goods
c: common character : likeness
community of ideas
d: social activity : fellowship
3: society at large
the interests of the community
Film is about the community that gathers around that screen in times of great crisis and in moments of immense joy.—Jessica Gelt
So, with what I have seen in my long life, combined with the above definition, what can we conclude about our own rural community?
We all chose to live here, or were born and raised here
Many of us have similar interests and professions, like ranching, homesteading, rodeo, healthcare, and more
Most of us are not wealthy, but share what we have with those in need
We have a strong sense of what is right and wrong and are not afraid to stand up for our beliefs
We accept people from all walks of life into our community and often try to help them fit in with the old timers
Our community stands together for our common history and respect for those who came before us.
We participate in community celebrations and losses
Since we have such a strong list of common interests and beliefs, I feel that we have a good sense of who we are within this community and see hope for the future as we raise the next generation. I have rarely seen anything but kindness and support in my community. Go forth and BE that kindness and BE that community.
