What Does It Look Like To Be A Villager?

What does it look like to be a villager?

Last week Kasey Brown shared a LinkedIn post about Beyoncé showing up two nights in a row to support Kelly Rowland perform on The Boy Is Mine tour.

She asked a simple question:

“When’s the last time you showed up for someone twice?
Not because they begged you. Not because it was easy.
But because that's what real support looks like?”

And it made me think about this month’s theme that I shared in November issue of The Kickback With Keri newsletter.

We can’t do this thing called life alone.

One thing this season of life is teaching us, between shutdowns, layoffs and lack of SNAP benefits, is that it's time to get back to our roots of being a village.

→ Spending quality time together.
→ Showing up for each other (food, resources, etc).
→ Making an effort, even when it's inconvenient.

Social media has created a false sense of community and connection.
If we want to really cultivate community, we ALL have to be a villager.

Cassie McClure wrote in Creators:

"We habitually romanticize the idea of community while resisting its demands. But real community is built in the small, unglamorous moments of inconvenience. Functioning villages worked because people knew their survival depended on each other. Consider bringing the meal, making the call, attending the meeting, and lending a hand. Because when it's your turn to need the village, you'll want it to still exist. And it will because once upon a time, you helped build it."
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As we approach the final weeks of this year, I challenge you to think about the ways you can be a villager for the people in your life and community.