A Successful Community Gathering: We did it!

After so much dreaming and thinking and planning, I decided with the encouragement of a friend, to just do it! Just have a Community Gathering in a park, and invite our friends and neighbors. Everything that I wanted to happen took place. I was especially pleased that Ron Paul supporters showed up and really inspired people in the course of natural conversations to think about Ron Paul's message more deeply. People who thought they would never consider voting for a Republican now were open. One person said she was 90% sure she would support Ron Paul. Just 3 weeks ago she said she never would consider a candidate who did not have some solution to global warming.

I wanted to create an environment that was fun, safe, and encouraging networking. I wanted people to feel free to ask for what they were needing, and find meaningful connections. I noticed that the thirty or so people who attended had vibrant conversations. Many told me that they really enjoyed it, and made some contacts which were very important. I continue to hear how this gathering contributed to people's well being. It was very simple, and not very structured. But something about the intention to network and support each other made it more than a party.

I see so much more potential, and I look forward to finetuning and expanding the Community Gathering. I sense that if people met regularly, a momentum will form. I think that Ron Paul supporters would find this to be a rich and fertile ground to share the message of freedom, and to connect with similar minded people. Democrats and Greens will soon realize that we all want the same thing.

I was very excited to hear someone say to me, "I am a democrat, and never thought of voting for a Republican. But when I saw other Ron Paul supporters who seemed like they were on the same wavelength as I am, this made me think more. I am going to do some research on him." I had not taken the opportunity to even talk to this person before today about Ron Paul--we don't talk often--but I was happy that indirectly she was opening up to Ron Paul.

I really think that if every Ron Paul supporter would host such community gatherings for their friends and neighbors, and provided a nurturing place where they were clear that you care about them (not just their vote!), people of all political parties and no political parties will sit up and take notice.