On the May long weekend I sat listening to Peach City Radio and could not help but to reflect upon the meaning of community.
As the volunteer hosts gave air time to citizens in my community, I felt proud to be a member of the station. I have walked the streets of this city for only a short time and yet I feel that Penticton can really be a beautifully community-orientated place to stay forever, if we cared to have it be.
I am proud of the KVR and wish we had more walking paths, and less roads. A serene stroll above Okanagan Lake with the fresh scent of sage and a turkey vulture soaring on the winds above fills my soul. But I am worried.
When did television replace a walk? When did the iPhone replace a gathering of friends? When did video games replace the imagination? How do I convince those in television land that we don’t need even half the consumer goods we are told we need to have?
Would you believe me when I say that community is all we need? We have to have care to take care of each other. Do we really have faith that our governments and elected officials will be there when we really need them? But we will be there.
It is true, there really is something wrong with this society we humans have created. So, if we are genuinely worried about our future, let’s make a community that our children can believe in. Only then will we see how ignorant we are to the fact that they really do care about this world we all belong in. It begins with a little try and effort. Urban agriculture, anyone?
Monica Hoffmann
Penticton