We love where we live. What is it about Nantucket that we love? Is it the cobbled streets that we endearingly bounce over through town ? Is it the ringing church bells on a cold night in winter? Is it the super moon rising over the harbor, creating a golden highway on the water? Is it the nod and smile to our neighbor as we negotiate the narrow aisles of the Stop and Shop, Demolition Derby style? Is it the Demolition Derby itself? Is it the best donuts in the world?
Yes, and then again, no. It is all about community.
According to Webster, community is defined as: - a group of people who live in the same area (such as a city, town, or neighborhood) - a group of people who have the same interests, religion, race, etc.
We think Nantucket stands outside Webster’s definition because our community is a group of diverse people who have chosen to live in a place where they do not have to hold a particular set of views, political, social, or personal.
Community is forged. We are a group of people bonded by a sense of place and history, even if we did not come to Nantucket for those reasons. The place itself made that happen for us, it shaped us individually into “Nantucketers”. We don’t live here because it is easy. It is not. It is hard. It is hard financially, geographically, and meteorologically.
What is easy is that Nantucket builds a very unusual sense of people caring for each other. We look after each other. A few examples are: we make sure that people can get off of the island for cancer or other illness treatments; we raise money together when someone cannot pay for the high costs of living here or for their medical treatments; and, indeed, over 105 not-for-profit organizations that serve our health, economic, cultural and emotional needs—at least 90% run by volunteers and funded by donations.
There are economic barriers to being here. Even if some people come and want to stay here, they cannot stay long enough to find this deep sense of community. But then again, we have people who are willing to give up careers to come and be part of this island for a lifetime.
When one of our own has to leave for any reason, we often hear that they miss their “community.” Not the donuts.
We are so lucky to live here, to love here, and to be of the family and community known as Nantucket.
Go out and create YOUR Community, wherever you may be!
©2024 Nancy Martin and Patricia Kepenash
All rights reserved. No part of this blog can be reproduced without express permission of the authors.
תגובות