Thirty Fortunate Day 6: Community

I grew up in a small community and always felt kind of different. Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely thankful for the way I was raised (See Day 1: My roots). I've always felt like it was a little hard to relate to a lot of the people in the community where I grew up (with obvious exceptions). When I moved out to the Boston area for grad school, it was an instant community of scientists. Hello, nerds all over the place! And it wasn't a bad thing! I made some good friends in that time. But after I finished school and got a job in Biotech, I felt like something was missing. I almost left.

And then one fateful Sunday (or was it a Tuesday?) evening, I stepped into a little pub in Davis Square. I wandered to the back. There were people with acoustic guitars on stage, and the Guinness was freely flowing. There was an instant understanding, that I'd stumbled onto something really special. The more people I met there, the more at home I felt.

Last night just reminded me once again how incredibly fortunate I am to be a part of this community. I don't play an instrument or sing in a band (though we have been known to do rousing acapella renditions of "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" sitting around a table late-night). But I get to be a part of it anyway. I get to appreciate and support what is created by this community and its many branches. I try to think about a life without this incredible group of people, without all of this incredible music, and I just can't see it. It makes us all feel like we're a part of something bigger than ourselves. And we are. We really are.