Redefining Community in a Mobile World
This final section presents a shift in perspective on what it means to be part of a community, based on the author's conversation with Senator Sasse.
When the author posed their concerns about finding community as a "rootless cosmopolitan" to Sasse, they received an unexpected response. Sasse told them that they had misunderstood the core message:
Quote: "learning how to intentionally invest in the places where we actually live"
This response challenges the notion that community and belonging are solely about having deep historical roots in a place or returning to one's hometown. Instead, it emphasizes the active role individuals must play in creating and nurturing community wherever they are.
Highlight: Being a member of a community isn't about whether one has a "Fremont" (referring to Sasse's hometown) or how one feels about any particular place.
This perspective shift suggests that the "hometown gym on a Friday night feeling" is not something that can only be found in one's place of origin. Rather, it's a sense of belonging and connection that can be cultivated through intentional effort and investment in one's current location.
This advice is particularly relevant for people like the author, who move frequently or live in places where they don't have historical roots. It suggests that meaningful community connections can be built anywhere, given the right mindset and effort.
Example: For someone moving to a new city, this might involve actively seeking out local events, joining community organizations, or volunteering - all ways of intentionally investing in the new place.
The text concludes by implying that the key to combating loneliness and building community in our mobile, modern world lies not in where we are from or where we live, but in how we choose to engage with and invest in our current surroundings.