Communities are special ...

I have been reminded recently of the ways in which communities are special. Firstly, what do we mean by community? How many people does it take to make a community? For example, can communities consist of simply a few friends or just some of our close family members? I believe that both of these examples can make a community, and of course there are many other configurations. The important thing is that we feel comfortable and secure in our community, and also accepted by that community for who we are. In the past I've found myself trying to be part of a community where it was just not going to work. We just had too little in common, and it eventually became painful trying to fit in. Communities are powerful, whatever their size. Small commuities can be insular. They can reject incomers. Conversely, they can also be an immense source of help and support for those people who 'belong' within the community. I am fortunate that I live in a community where I would have no hestitation to knock on my neighbour's door for help if needed, even though we do not see each other very often, and we hardly ever stand and chat over the garden fence. But, we are there for each other. It goes without saying, and that is a wonderful feeling to have. The same goes for my other neighbours who are a few minutes down the road. When I was watching the news regarding the helicopter crash that resulted in the deaths of 17 oil workers, I was again reminded of the diversity of communities. The oil and gas community is a truly global one, that keeps in touch through the advances in technology, and at the heart of that community you have the city of Aberdeen, where so many people, and businesses are involved in oil and gas. The people who work in the industry are part of a huge community and yet they can come together to support one another in times of crisis, particularly through the use of technology. The media referred to the community as being a 'family'. Those that are part of this community have a strong bond that unites them, and the past unites them too. A visit to the Piper Alpha memorial is a powerful reminder of this.

The other day I was listening to the radio and heard mums and dads from Glasgow being interviewed regarding their protest about schools and nurseries being closed in their area. Here we had a community who had come together to support one another. I saw them later in the day on the television and was reminded again about the power that communities can have. It struck me that had these people accepted the closures without a word, I would have had no idea about it. By coming together as they did, they attracted media attention, and I became more informed about what was happening in another part of the country that is not that very far away.Yes, communities are powerful. They can be complex, and diverse. They can support you or shun you. As career advisers it is vital that we are aware of the communities that our clients are part of.

Listening is active not passive ...

I was out for a walk with the dog this morning and as I was walking through some woods I thought I heard a woodpecker. I wasn't sure at first, there's lots of different birds in those woods. I found myself concentrating a bit more so that I could hear the pecking more clearly, and as I did so I walked more slowly and carefully over the twigs, so as not to frighten it away. As I moved on, the pecking became louder, it was definitely a woodpecker. I had for those few minutes shut out all the other sounds around me, forgot about the dog. It reminded me of the article we read on Wednesday-'listening to hear is active not passive',.