A Healthy Community

Several years ago I was asked to participate in a workshop built around community vision. The question posed to the participants was, “ how do you envision Easton in the next 20 years?” All that were asked to address this question had the opportunity to present a version of their vision in several break out sessions. I am, obviously not, an urban planner, but the exercise intrigued me. My plan involved creating more green spaces in addition to  creating a downtown that was more pedestrian friendly and offered endless opportunities for public art. I can’t remember the specifics of my proposed improvements, but I do remember how engaged and excited I was to participate in the process.

As I reflect back on the exercise I realize that my “wish list” of how I envisioned Easton was chocked full of ideas that would result in more tangible outcomes. My “wish list” today would be very different. I am  more  interested in  ideas about how we become a more connected and healthier community. That question, to me,  is the most important question. The health of a community is full of a combination of intangibles and tangibles that lead to what we need to feel a part of and valued in our communities. A healthy community is one in which all residents have access to a quality education, safe and healthy homes, adequate employment, transportation, physical activity, and nutrition, in addition to quality health care. Unhealthy communities lead to chronic disease, such as cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.

I am reading a book titled, Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Semard . She describes the nurturing cooperation and shared resources in the soil beneath the forest floor. A constant activity in which our healthy and diverse forests engage thru a complex mycorrhizal network. This complementary relationship is a beautiful metaphor. It is a wonderful example for all communities and how we need to engage to uplift and support each other. This mycorrhizal relationship reminds and teaches us what variables are required to not only survive but thrive. We need to nurture a foundation of cohesion, connection and communication reflective of the vast network of intelligence, wisdom and shared resources that exist in the ground on which we place our feet everyday.