It’s hard to live in the country

The refrain from a Fall song, called ‘Hard Life in the Country’. I have been listening to the Archers a bit lately, I tuned into the 15 trillionth episode last week and I sort of got caught up in all the rural ruminations. It would never hook me like Coronation St. but then that’s because I am a towny at heart. I like camping but I like getting the bus to the pub better.

All very interesting but why am I telling you this? Well we are looking at ‘Community’ this month in bclc. We started last Sunday by taking a walk around the block and trying to identify things that help make community. You know the kind of things - houses (for people), litter bins, allotments, shops, school etc. We then talked about this and if there was anything missing and what impact each thing had in terms of building or breaking a community. I am sure that a community, like a church, is about the people but take away the places where the people can come together (the club, the local shop, the church??) and you would be hard pressed to make a community out of that.

Of course there are on-line communities now and this is one I suppose but it’s not quite the same is it. Like the Archers or Coronation St., great ways to pass the time but not as good as the real thing.