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Place and Story
Posted by Kimberly Allen
This week, Bekah Holbrook and Shola Walker added their voices to the Views from the Bottom Blog, launched in tandem with St. Paul's Views from the Bottom Covenant Group being led by Andrew Terry. They challenge the group (and their readers) to think about the meaning of place and story as they head out to experience Shockoe and Church Hill, two neighborhoods that make up and shape the downtown community.
From Bekah's reflection:
People often talk about what they like (or don’t like) about where they live. They cite real estate value, public transportation, quality of schools, public safety, proximity to work and recreation. Interestingly, what people miss when they move away is more often relational: friends, family, potluck groups, faith communities, neighbors, friendly landlords. Perhaps it’s because we seek to feel connected. We want to identify with others, be recognized and known. We want to have a sense that we belong to a place and that place belongs to us.
I had started to develop that sense living in the Fan, which is a neighborhood with a strong identity, one that I felt connected to. I was comfortable and secure there. I wonder if I can develop a sense of connectedness to Shockoe Bottom. What is the identity of my new neighborhood? Who are my neighbors? How and when will I know if I belong to this place?
And from Shola's poem:
The group will meet at Cafe Gutenberg this Sunday around 11:30 am.
Tags: covenant group, shockoe bottom
