Pomp, pageantry, and people: Cherish your community, wherever it is...

My Dad, who was born in the coronation year, lights the beacon in my home
village of Marloes in Pembrokeshire as part of the Jubilee celebrations.

So...that was the jubilee.  A week long extravaganza of national pride, hedonism and celebration.  What did you get from it?  Was it a waste of time and money?  Was it a washout?  Or, like me, did you find something in there beyond all the pomp and pageantry; something personal and social?

For me, the simple joy of being in my village, with my people, my community, in a field in the rain was so comforting and grounding that the weather just didn't matter. 

I know am very privileged to come from a small village where people look out for each other and pull together, and I never want to lose that; but you don't have to be from a close knit geographical community like mine to benefit from the sense of support you get from being with others with whom you have something in common.  My online communities, my colleagues, my friends may be scattered all over the globe (happy wedding to Shin by the way*), but we can still be a community, thanks to this machine I'm typing into and Mr Tim Berners-Lee and his collaborators.  How fortunate we are to be able to build and retain communities in real space and digital spaces.  It's important to remember this good fortune and if it has done nothing else, the Jubilee has reminded me of how important community is.  Behind the pomp and pageantry there are human beings, people, who sometimes need a hand, so value your communities, nurture them and cherish them - you never know when you might need them or they may need you.

*Shin is one of my best friends and she is getting married in Kuala Lumpur this weekend, I can't be there physically, but I'll be following online.