Invest in People

One of my earliest posts I speak about investing in people.  People can change the world, and I am clearly attune to the fact that I cannot do this thing alone.  

One of the hardest part of this project is building the connections.  Personally, I am not the most socially agile person to begin with.  Then, of course we had Covid.  I am also somewhat of a newcomer in the neighborhood.  I have only been in Peoria about 4 years.  Our community is one filled with drugs and crime, and that tends to cause people not to trust.  Not to mention the fact that there are issues of trust between our members of different skin colors and ethnicities.  These are real challenges to overcome.  This doesn't mean that it is not worth the effort.

Investing in people takes time and patience.  Long term relationship require consistent interactions.  So, I walk down the block, wave hello, I am friendly and outgoing.  These are not my natural states.  Often I would rather hide in my basement and not answer the door when someone knocks. 

This project is as much a challenge for me personally as it is physically and financially.  As I start to create connections, I am learning about how to be vulnerable.  Who knows, maybe that is what the whole thing was about in the first place?  My own personal mission to learn how to connect authentically with others.  That is a worthy goal.