Shout-out to community

I've been thinking a lot about community lately, and I'll have a new post up at Girl w/Pen in the next few days talking about this issue in a social justice context.  But for now, here's a shout-out to community in a more down to earth lived way.  Last night, Biffle went to play a gig, and Maybelle went to bed.  After I'd given her some goodnight love, I came to my desk and reached in my backpack to pull out my computer.  Often on evenings when Biffle's going to be gone, I plan to spend a chunk of time doing work that I didn't get around to during the day, and that work, of course, requires my computer.

My computer bag was in my backpack...empty.  I'd left my computer at school!

So here's the sort of community that's available to me:  I texted a former student of mine, Micah (one of the first three CofC alums with a WGS degree!), who lives in my neighborhood.  Micah is the person who, if she's not available to do something, will have a friend whose schedule she knows, and she can hook you up with that person.

I texted, "Hey!  I'm at home alone tonite and just realized I left my computer at the office!  If you have 20 min free at some point, could you come by and let me run to campus and get it?"

Six minutes later, she texted back, "Yes!  at work but I can be there in about 30.  Sound good?"

I replied, "Perfect!  You are awesome."  And she is!  She bikes by my house on her way home from work, so she stopped, hung out with the sleeping Maybelle and the animals who were very happy to see her, and then went on to the rest of her busy evening after I returned.  It's a very cool thing to be part of that sort of community.

She did request that maybe one of these times she be invited to hang out with the awake Maybelle, and that does seem fair!