When we think 'community', we tend to think geographically, that is, the people who live around us; but this is deceptive and limiting.
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The concept of community is not restricted to those in our immediate vicinity. It can, indeed, be global. We talk, for example, of the 'gay community', the 'farming community', the 'police community' or the 'arts community'. There are communities based on nationality or religion: the Italian/Irish/Danish/[insert nationality of choice here] community; the Jewish/Muslim/Buddhist/Christian communities. These are groups linked not by geography, but by commonalities that transcend location. We all belong to more than one community and often these overlap.
The one community to which we all belong, however, and the one that needs us the most, is that of the land. The early 20th Century conservationist and author, Aldo Leopold, put it succinctly when he said:
We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.
The land on which we depend for our lives and livelihoods needs us to care for it like we care for those within our other community groups. Braidwood is a caring community. It is also a very active and civic community. Yet how often do we stop and include the land in our deliberations on how best to progress? That which is in the best interests of the land is automatically in our own best interests.
Most of wouldn't dump garbage or start fires on our neighbours' yards. Most employers don't treat their employees as commodities. Yet most of forget that the land is possibly the most valued and valuable community to which we will ever belong.
This will be my last editorial for the Braidwood Times. I am leaving professional journalism to pursue other avenues of writing. For the past thirteen months I have been privileged to belong to a community of dedicated professionals working in regional media who work tirelessly to ensure that the news that gets to the reader is current, accurate and accessible. I have also had the great privilege of being able to connect with my own (geographic) community: the people of Braidwood and the villages.
I extend my thanks to both these communities for their support and as I shift into another, possibly slower, career gear.
