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I paddle frantically against pull of the wave as it builds behind me. A moment later I'm hurtling toward the waterline, carried by the breaking wave. The rush is fantastic.
We finally made it to the waterpark this weekend. And aside from Voyage to the Center of the Earth, the highlight was the wave pool... which is thankfully not this crowded:
Crowded Wave Pool
There's something amazing about the power of water as it knocks you around or carries you away. ...which is similar to the power of a community. Sure, it can uncaringly knock you smack on your bum, but the same group of people can propel you forward as well.
Barb, a co-worker who helps me keep track of my blog stats, recommended I write this post. I recently contacted a bloggy friend of mine who offered me some incredible insights, wisdom and encouragement. I was telling Barb about it this morning, and she reminded me of it as I wandered the building looking for some blogging inspiration. "You should write about your experience. Well, not exactly. You don't have to share what you were talking about, but you should blog about how much this community has encouraged you."
A swell idea that built as I considered likening it to the building swells of the wave pool.
So: Thank you, my friends. This community--and most notably a few key members of it--has been instrumental in buoying me up these past couple years. And while my domain is more the blogosphere, I know that the Forums have proven to be at least as important to many of you as well.
And as we prayed this morning for some of the needs mentioned on blogs and the Forums, I was reminded of the privilege I have to be a minor part of your life.
These social media are incredible tools that, like the pumps behind the wave pool, allow us to build up together as a community and carry one another along in the choppy waters of life.
How's that for mixing metaphors? <smile>
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Empty Nester
P.S. Speaking of social media, we are two people away from hitting 7,500 people who "like" Sonlight on Facebook. Talk about a growing community! I'm so excited to see the ways you and I will be able to help other homeschoolers in the years to come as the tools continue to improve our ability to connect and share with one another.
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