PAA Core Values: Community (Part 2 of 3)

Community has always been important to me.  As a kid I loved playing with the other kids on my street.  In the summer we would play freeze tag and kick the can in our front yards.  In winter we would have snowball fights or dig tunnels and create our own little city.  And, since I have 31 first cousins, I loved getting together with family!  There was always someone to talk to or play with.  Even in my own house with three younger sisters, two step sisters and one step brother, there was almost always someone to do something with.  Being home alone almost never happened at our house.

It is this drive for community that lead me to the theatre arts in the first place.  Each and every show was a family.  We always get so close to each other and when it is time for strike, it feels so strange saying goodbye to the show and the time together.

Community is also what drives many of the higher decisions at PAA.  As each year passes and the PAA community grows and changes, we seek to inspire and connect the individual lives involved.  We want your time spent at PAA to be filled with friendships, fun and hard work.  We want you leaving each class and rehearsal looking forward to the next!  Some of the friendships you make today will be the ones that last your lifetime.

We also want you thinking about the community around you.  The truth is, our global community is just as important.  This huge world is getting smaller every day and we have the ability to connect with people all over the world through our computers and smart phones in exciting new ways all the time.  You can donate money to help a family halfway around the world start a business or keep track of a friend who lives in another state or country through social media.  All of these are awesome experiences.

Just as awesome and important is connecting with our local communities.  This week I want you to take time to connect with or serve someone in your local community.  That may mean you make cookies for someone on your street or offer to babysit for the neighbors for free so they can have a date night.  You might also decide to volunteer your time at a local food bank or help out with a community food drive.  However you decided to do it, do it!  Build your community.