One of the things I was looking for when I moved to my small Eastern Oregon town was community. I have really good childhood memories of grange events—dime a dip dinners, Christmas parties, Halloween haunted houses and dances. Like many granges, the old Alfalfa Grange witnessed a lot of changes. I wonder if it is still active or if it, like many other granges across America, fell victim to the lower rural population and the changing needs of the populace?
I get a lot of joy community building here in North Powder as a member of the library board, the Firewise Coordinator and, wait for it, a member of Wolf Greek Grange. Here are some pictures of the Grange’s chili feed from last weekend.
Our grange is small but mighty, held together by members who want to build and grow and make the grange a place of community care. Because I believe so strongly that strong, resilient communities are the only way forward, I am working hard to make the grange a place where old and young alike can thrive.
I think in many ways, my entire adult life has been in search of that long ago community. For a while, I found it in church, and I married into a strong family that celebrated everything. One of my favorite communities, though was in the writer’s group I found myself a part of in the mid 2000’s. Core members included authors Miriam Forester, Cat Winters, Kelly Garret, Jen Reese. Others came and went and added much to our small collective. Our group was also featured in the Oregon Art Beat segment on Cat Winters. You can access the video here:Cat Winters Oregon Art Beat
Community Building Tips for Writers
- Decide what you need in a writing community. I was excited when a writer’s group formed here in North Powder, but no matter how hard I tried, it just didn’t meet my needs. There were too many people and too many opposing ideas of what it should be. I left on good terms and wished them all well, but it was a lesson to me to be clear going in on what my needs were. I realized that I could never replicate the writer’s group that I had lost and my current writer’s community includes occasional virtual meetups with friends, plus editorial, mentoring and marketing help that I pay for. It’s what I need in my life.
- Understand that people are imperfect and community building can get mired in human messiness if you aren’t careful. Avoid gossip, judgements and be mindful that people are triggered by a variety of things. I once didn’t talk to an author friend for several years because of an unfavorable critique. My feelings were hurt, I lashed out and that was that. Thankfully, I am far more thick-skinned, emotionally resilient and have a better understanding of my triggers. And that friend is now one of my dearest friends.
- Seasons change. Needs change. People change. I lost that original writer’s group when I got a full-time job and returned to school to get my English Lit and Creative Writing degree. Time was at a premium and I just couldn’t swing it. One of the members had a baby. Another’s husband got very ill and she had to drop out. The group remains a shining memory of friendship and an exciting part my writing career.
Community building is a passion of mine, whether it’s in my writing life or my outside life. My day job is, ironically, all about building communities here in Eastern Oregon. It’s something I gravitate to naturally, probably stemming from those long ago parties at the Alfalfa Grange Hall. I believe that novels are also about building community building, albeit a fictional one… but that is for another blog!
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