Place, Home, and Community

I spent the weekend immersed in community-based activities surrounding a photography project in which I have been involved during the past nine months. The project is related to East End, a Black community in Asheville that was displaced during “urban renewal” in the 1980s. There was no renewal. The houses were not renovated, and the community was not fortified. Essentially, the people who lived, worked, and owned businesses in the community were forced out, and paved streets, parking lots, and city buildings took their place.

I took a walk by the lake in the snow yesterday afternoon. There was uncommon quiet that surrounded the shades of white and grey of the lake. Even the birds were scarce. I spotted only one lone white goose and two pairs of mallards swimming in the water. In the stillness, I became deeply aware of my feelings of aloneness.

Most of us deeply long for a sense of connection to place, home, and community. We long for a sense of belonging. When we find our place—whether it is through connection to the land, a house, a family, or a community, we feel at home. When we lose that connection because we move to a new place and haven’t yet settled, we have chosen a place that is not true to who we are, or our family or community is disrupted or divided, we feel an enduring sense of longing and loss.

Where do we find comfort while we search for a sense of place and home? I find comfort through attempting to recreate pieces of what feels like home—walking by the neighborhood lake, surrounding myself with objects that soothe me, watching the birds at my backyard feeder, and connecting with my family of friends. When the feelings of longing become too great, sometimes releasing the grief over the places that I have lost becomes essential. Today I’ll take another walk by the lake, and if the snow is cleared from the roads, I’ll get to my appointment for an hour of soothing touch by my favorite massage therapist.

Write about your connection to place, home or community. If you do not have the connection that you long for, write about what brings you comfort during your enduring search.