Following the inspiration of flashlight tag, a journey into community

As I reflect, I am not quite sure where my fascination with the concept of “community” came from. Did it start with my eight-year old self who delighted, but also lamented, each time she played flashlight tag or pick-up basketball when visiting a friend? These outings served as a consistent reminder of how much I felt I missed out on growing up on a piece of property far from the maddening crowds. I vowed at that time that if I had kids, I would ensure we lived in a neighborhood with easy access to playdates and spontaneous social encounters, mud pie collaborations and ample pupils for imaginary classrooms.