With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown. –Chinese proverb

Yesterday I attended my small city’s civic leadership academy for the first time. The subject was interjurisdictional relationships. The group in attendance listened to speakers from the county school district, a staff member from the office of one of the state’s representatives, and one of the county commissioners. I learned a lot. I also recognized how much I do not know about the place I call home.

Part of the problem was that I had been a bit too busy to put high priority on local affairs. Until last August, I have had full-time work and full-time school to contend with. I though that was plenty, thank you very much.

Another part of the problem was habit. Between 1991 and 2006, I moved an average of once every two years, including a couple of out-of-state moves. As a nomad, I never bothered to bond much with any community because I could not rely on staying for long. It would have been a waste of precious time and energy.

That changed when I bought a house nearly four years ago. I now trust that I can put down roots. Before I can do that, I really need to better understand the place where I live. For now anyway, the city government is very accessible. The academy I started last night is one example.