romanticizing community and global markets

so i'm working on a project to throw neighborhood block parties. my aim: decrease violence, decrease isolationism, and increase community. the problem is i don't mind sleeping all day and sometimes, i would prefer not to talk with people. henri nouwen mentioned something in his book, the return of the prodigal son, about the reality of community, about just how unromantic it actually is and that stuck with me. I didn't read most of the middle of this book, i read some intro and skipped to the last few pages so i might have missed the point.

but this is what he says: "there is little romanticism to community life. there is a constant need to keep stepping out of the engulfing darkness onto the platform of the father's embrace....
the people (a community) who welcomed me home and invited me to celebrate also confronted me with my not yet converted self and made me aware that the journey was far from ended." being true to ourselves and our communities make others in our community face their own vulnerabilities, there own anguish and that causes anxiety. it is a challenge to be better not only for ourselves but for each other and rather than seeking self-gratification, a community member and leader must continually give. "his outstretched hands are not begging, grasping, demanding, warning, judging, or condemning. They are hands that only bless, giving all and expecting nothing."

that's a tough one to handle. i think.

on another note, i'm taking a business management and organization class and although i'm many chapters behind and i have to take a midterm today. i think the book is fun. a little jewel from that book:
Geert Hofstede *i think, i can't read my own handwriting anymore. that's pathetic.
talks about 5 consistent cultural dimensions
1. power distance, is the extent to which a country accepts power is not distributed equally. (i hate bureaucracy and power struggles so this point hit home)
2. individualism, the degree to which a country believes that every individual should be self-sufficient (where is the room for community in this?)
3. masculinity, the degree to which a country is highly assertive. on the other end of the spectrum, feminity: nurturing cultures.
4. uncertainty avoidance, degree to which people are uncomfortable with uncertainty
5. short term vs long term orientation, self explanatory.

i think i'm drawn to these ideas because these are human dimensions as much as they are country dimension to look for in a global market. good times.

prayer. prayer. prayer. mathew 18:19-20. i love a good prayer partner/friend.