“But we are not yet community creatures. We are impelled to relate with each other for our survival. But we do not yet relate with the inclusivity, realism, self-awareness, vulnerability, commitment, openness, freedom,  equality, and love of genuine community.  It is clearly no longer enough to be simply social animals, babbling together at cocktail pareties and brawling with each other in business and over boundaries.  It is our task — our essential, central, crucial task  — to transform ourselves from mere social creatures into community creatures. It is the only way that human evolution will be able to proceeed. ”

M.Scott Peck: The Different Drum: Community Making and Peace. (1987) TOUCHSTONE.

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The above quote presents fleshes out the realities of making community. Also, the critical need we have as social beings  to help build those forms of communities  where people not only just happen to live proximate to each other but instead see each other as brother and sister.  The question then arises how to transform ourselves into a community as Peck proposes?

Alcoholics Anonymous  and all 12 step mutual aid  groups present us with a model of recovery and the dynamic  experiences of community by each  persons effort to transform themselves. These 12 step groups have  given us a model on how to build community 1) by  first beginning the process of  transforming that individual  and 2)  by embedding   themselves as part of a caring and healing community. By  sharing our  vulnerabilities and committing  ourselves to the transformation of our live through the dynamic force of a caring community (12 step group) and  each of our lives is renewed and changed.

In the mutuality of a caring group of people we can add ourselves as one who truly has been part of building a community where trust, healing and respect take place.

Hugh