Last week, the Delicious Living staff participated in an online seminar called “Harnessing the Power of the Blog,” sponsored by Stanford Professional Publishing Courses. What intrigued me most was the discussion of a blog’s purpose: to create community, giving people a forum to connect over things they care about, be it Pomeranians, climbing roses, or the “natural lifestyle,” in the case of Delicious Living. This struck me immediately. I am a huge believer in building community; in fact, I think it’s the key element missing in today’s superbusy, fractured society. There are so many things that divide us—politics, race, religion, child rearing, sports teams, you name it—that I’m constantly aware of the need to focus on things that unite us as fellow humans.
The Internet’s potential in this regard is mind boggling; for the first time in history, people all over the world can easily connect with like-minded people to explore and delve deeper into topics they care about. For example, let’s say you’ve just found out that your child is gluten-intolerant. Within minutes on the Internet, you’ll find a plethora of other parents, far-flung and close by, whose families share the same issue and who are glad to pass along their experiences and tips. Who knows: It could even lead to starting a gluten-free (or vegan, or organic gourmet, or localvore—fill in your choice) Delicious Living supper club in your town.
Nothing can replace face-to-face connections. But the web does help people who might otherwise never find each other to join in and to be part of a community. That’s where you come in. Delicious Living readers already are a vital community, one that cares deeply about the health of the mind, body, spirit, and Earth. So for starters, check out the Community section on the DL website and join in. We want to hear you! Let’s think together about how we can use every means at our disposal—real and virtual—to make our community even better.
