The Essence Of Community, Place, And Stewardship

The Fenn Community, My Second Home

Community is about doing something together that makes belonging matter

-Brian Solis

   Everyone has a place where they feel happy and welcome, one of those places for me is Fenn. Even when I am having a bad day, getting accused of gaming, or wearing a hat inside, I still feel happy at the Fenn community which I love.

    Community is not just a group of people in the same area, community is a feeling. It is the feeling you get when you go to a place and it still feels like home. Fenn is a community which I am glad to be a part of. I am surrounded by people I like, and even if there are some people I do not know well, I still consider them a part of this community.  A community can be whatever you want it to be. It could just be a neighborhood or a camp. It’s not just people living in the same place, or working in the same area. It can also be a fellowship,  like a group of friends.  One of my favorite communities to be a part of was Camp Coniston. I got to make so many friends over the 5 years I was there, and it was a special community for me, and for my family.

    It is amazing how much impact a place can have on people. A place can bring back memories, happy or sad. Places bring back a lot of nostalgia. One of my favorite places to go is to my lake house in New Hampshire. When I am there I feel like I have a lot of freedom, I love when I can paddle board out on the lake whenever I want. There can be places that we get so used to going there and it is so special that it feels like we haven’t even left home. That is the power of a place. I remember Fitz talking to us in class about every time he drives up the hill to Windsor, he feels a sort of happiness. That this is relatable for many people, including me at New Hampshire and Coniston.

    Stewardship is very valuable. Without someone to lead a group, those learning our being lead would be wandering around clueless. If there was a classroom and the class had no teacher, the class would not be able to just teach themselves all of the material. They would need stewardship. Stewardship is what helps guide people to learn and understand things better. People my age are being taught most of the things we know by people of older generations. Those teaching us had to learn from somewhere, which they probably did from their teachers or parents. Without knowledge being passed down to us, and without having a steward to guide us, we would have to learn everything by doing.