To us, we define community as a sense of belonging, a place and concept where we find commonality and shared values. For Sactown Petanque, we find community locally and globally. We create community when we play together, share meals, cheer for our friends from the sideline, and even when we watch world champions play on YouTube.
We expand our community when we reconnect through tournaments and hug our friends from faraway towns and cities. Community can also be defined as individuals who come together to create a different and special whole - an entity that can only happen when we recognize that togetherness is a good thing. The pétanque community is an eclectic community that draws people of all backgrounds and talents due to our common passion for the game. We bet every pétanquer knows how to say "shoot" in more than one language. We celebrate the uniqueness of each person as well as the diversity of our group, and value the gift of each other's presence.
If we are not careful though, our community can be lost, and we may find ourselves playing alone. If you belong to a community that enriches your life, do what you can to contribute to and strengthen it. Building an inclusive community is not always smooth but having the end goal in mind keeps us on the right path.
So...let's keep our pétanque community strong and grounded in our shared humanity - for now and for many generations that will come after us.