The small town of Charleston was next encountered, where Darlene & Wendy of the Hiawasee River Heritage Center provided me with a lovely ladling of friendly conversation, generous kindness, and emotional encouragement …

“The only real voyage we must ever make consists not in seeking new landscapes, but rather in having new eyes; in seeing our Universe through the eyes of the others we meet along the way, in seeing the hundred different Universes that each of them sees, and then in acting accordingly with a graciousness that is bold as it is gentle … With this in ind, remember that it is through your influence, and your efforts, and your ethics – in essence, your authenticity – that you can & will create a better reality for your friends and your family and your community and your entire world; a reality where all those nearby and all those who see you are similarly inspired to dream and love and act and serve … And we must also remember that communities are not built of friends, or even of groups of people with similar styles and tastes, or even of people who like and understand each other. No, real community is built of people who feel they are part of something that is bigger than themselves – something that transcends their differences and bonds them in unity regardless. This can be a shared goal or enterprise – like righting a wrong or building a road or co-raising children or cleaning up a park, and it can be a shared expression of fellowship – living honorably or serving selflessly or giving generously or communicating kindly. In truth, to build real community requires only the choice to see the innate & equal value in others – all others: to look at them and see a potential partner in a mutually loving life.” ~ inspired by Marcel Proust, Craig Dent & Suzanne Goldsmith

Filed under: Peace Pilgrimage #02: Walking HOME (2019) by Scaughdt