Community

Back home, I spent years sitting behind people in church. After a while, one gets to know the backs of heads almost as well as the face, and I could easily identify anyone from our community from the shoulders up. It was a joy to sit behind some well known back-of-heads last weekend at a wedding of a girl from home. Even after years, certain napes, the way hair swirls, a tilt- were completely recognizable.

(hint- they are all sitting in the fourth row from me.)

I still sit near the back of the church. I don't recognize people by their necks and heads anymore, but I do recognize and know a surprising number of people from my various interactions in the community. The first day I walked into this church, a friend from grad school was there. Then I saw a mom and kids from our kids' preschool. Later I got to know a girl scout leader and her daughter who also attend there. Last week a student in another grad class commented that she'd seen me when I went up for my birthday blessing a couple of weeks ago. And this week I realized I recognized a woman whose son is on Ali's soccer team. It makes me realize how connected I'm getting in this town- people from all areas interconnecting in different ways.