KL Caley is our host for the Thursday writephoto photo challenge.
You can find out more and join in here
For visually challenged writers, the image shows a collection of toy people all gathered around a sign with the word “Community” on it.
Community – Image by KL Caley
My dad always told me to look after The Little People because they were usually the ones that kept things going and got the least thanks.
Community spirit these days is important, and I am lucky in that we have one here that has gone from strength to strength since Covid made its presence felt (I shan’t say known because it was known about several months before anyone appeared to actually DO anything, by which time it was too late for many).
I was talking to a boating friend yesterday and he said that things on the marina were not the same. Not only had his friends either passed away or moved on due to expense, but he didn’t know anyone staff or otherwise, and the ‘new bods’ as we would call them didn’t make time to get to know their neighbours or regular boaters.
Sometimes we felt like we were the unofficial welcoming committee as we got to know everyone when we were liveaboards, and it was rumoured that if anyone wanted to know anything to ask us.
When all the silliness started in 2017 with horrendous hikes in river licences and mooring fees, people voted with their engines, many leaving overnight or within a few weeks.
The lovely community spirit that we were a part of was shattered and dismembered by greed and increasing profits. We kept in touch with a few boaters for a while, but like the armed forces, friendships are transient and if you aren’t together in close proximity, then in a short space of time, all that is lost.
You just never realize how lucky you are and how special things are until they no longer exist. Great tale, well done.
This was our life as liveaboards Mason. The marina owners smashed the community through greed.
Greed destroys everything sadly. I used to work for the Royal British Legion a place for retired army vets to have a good night out. Greedy owners wrecked that until it was shut down too. Shameful.
So true.
It’s a shame isn’t it Di, it’s always filthy Luca ! 💜
Sorry you lost touch with your boating friends, I am glad you have a good community around you now. Xx
We are still in touch with several people from that time, but most live in the properties on our dog walks.
I have of recent mused on the transient nature of friendships – still the effort to stay connected is worth the time… Glad you are still in touch with some of the boating community and have the beach community too! We need connectedness as humans.
I am a people person, so a life of solitude would not really suit me, though I don’t mind my own company.
Such a sad tale. I wonder how many small communities are shattered down to greed. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I’m glad you have a new community now.
Thank you for joining in the challenge:
https://new2writing.wordpress.com/2021/07/15/writephoto-community/
KL ❤
The boating community we were a part of was lovely, but the management’s greed shattered it beyond repair. Staff we knew have either left or been fired, and few stayed to pay the 27% increase in fees. It is not the same and we are glad to no longer be a part of it, though we do miss the simplicity of the boating life.
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