homoerectus2 " Community? Good question. Although I can fit in any community, I think it’s more of a learned behavior. I had to observe how and what behavior was and was not acceptable. That was long ago when I was a child; these days, I hardly ever have to think what’s involved in becoming a part of a community. I guess I was a fast learner. Still there are times when I tend to feel like an outsider looking in, instead of the other way around. I guess we’re probably all like that in some ways, and I guess that’s part of what connects.”

easygoing030563 ”Community means a group of people, some of whom have different beliefs, some of whom subscribe to different political parties, and some of whom do different work, but that we can still all find some common ground, so that we can get along and help each other.

“I think community is very important to my life; like being part of a community and I have a lot of friends that live close to where I do. I you have someone you can talk to it helps you relieve some of the stress from everyday living. I take responsibility for my involvement: I think it’s you and me that can take the steps to be stronger and it’s best if we are all willing to pitch in a little bit."

SemiDirtyOldMan “So. Independence and community. Where to start? Relishing independence will tend to retard your communication skills: most people today, they come home, go inside, make dinner and turn on that one eyed monster, so they don’t even see their neighbors! I’d guess that probably 1/2 of America doesn't even know their neighbors. I wish it were different. I’ve tried to be an exception; I've done some work at a local food bank, learned a few words of Russian because one neighbor is Russian, and because I have a big truck, I'm everybody's friend when they need it. I believe in the word community. I wish we could get back to the 50's & 60's when people knew their neighbors, when they visited each other, when they watched out for the kids in the street, and so on. There's a phrase I use "It's easy to sit up and take notice, what's hard is getting up and taking action." I wish more people would say the same.”

GrandpaJohn " I have always been independent. I raised 3 daughters on my own, so I got used to doing it all myself, I also guaranteed that I would have no one in my life, as no woman wanted to associate with me. But after the kids were gone I met a wonderful lady and we were together for almost 10 years. She died on January 19 2005, and I had a stroke on May 19 2005 and lost every thing, I spent the next year on the street, determined to make the best of my life and too stubborn to know better, I have almost recovered completely - my left arm is still numb but I'm sure that will change. I now have a place to live and am starting a business, and I’m looking for someone to be friends with. Online communities give us a place to find people with similar interests more easily than via the more conventional manner, and since I can't drink or dance, these are the best alternatives. So with luck I’ll be able to turn this online community into a “real” one!”

handle1318 “For me, community is a vast topic. I was born in Mauritius, but I’ve been living in Dublin, Ireland for the past 3 years. Back home in Mauritius, I have a family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and everyday people that I call my community. For me, spending time with them kept me happy and also helped me in a way to shape my future. All the people I mentioned were a part of my community, and to be honest, I really miss them all. Whether because I was so used to them or maybe because of the fact that I was always happy in their company, being among them made me feel like a complete person.

I believe in God and I also believe that no one can spend his life time on his own. We all need someone to talk to or someone who we can share our happiness and sorrows with, someone who we can help and someone who we can love. This, for me, is being part of a community. Now, how many of these people you want to be associated with your existence depends on you. In general I like to be my own boss most of the time. I seek advice from people when in trouble but this does not mean that I always do what they tell me. I have my own perception of life and i want to live it accordingly. I like to go against the waves, if you understand what I mean. I like to do and behave contrary to what a lot of normal human being will do in their lives. And in a way I want people to think the same way I think and share my views and ideas ‒ to see that life is an adventure and it can take different direction depending on what decision you take. We can make our lives a success and can also destroy it without knowing exactly what we are doing or what we have done.

But I am not a Hitler! I like the whole concept of a community and I also like being part of it, but I appreciate diversity. Different people with different character and views....this is what makes this world a wonderful place to live in. I don't want to change it but would try to make it a little bit better. I love it when other people can care about me and in the same way, I like taking care of people in need. Loving people and caring for them . . . this is the whole point of our existence. In brief, being part of a community is very important as this is why God created such a wonderful GLOBAL COMMUNITY. It's a pity that people are trying to destroy it in a way or the other, but it seems to me that good always wins over the bad, and I sincerely hope that a day will come when "cats will live happily with dogs" to make this place a better world."