Mission in the Rural Community

So here I am.

I've moved back to my roots, ie. "hick" (I really hate that word and the baggage it holds) central, after living in a variety of urban centres over the past 6.5 years. I'm still adjusting to the way of life here and trying to figure out where I fit in. I want to be an active part of the rural community and I want to understand the issues that are facing these communities. When I look around or recall some of my younger years (although I'm sure some issues have changed/morphed since then) I see/remember so many problems with substance abuse, poverty, issolation, depression, communal social hierachies and other things that aren't on the top of my head. There are some programs available for people but they don't recieve a lot of attention and locations are not always convenient. Transportation and commutes can be a huge problem for many people and with gas prices going up, it's not going to get easier. Another problem faced by rural areas is the pressure to act like they are urban centres. (This thought might deserve an entry of its own)

I think one of my new goals is to try and figure out what the needs of my local communites are and how I can be a part of the things around me. Donald Reid from the University of Guelph is doing some research into the marginalized in rural communities. A topic of great interest to me.
check up on this later