A Journey Of A Thousand Blogposts. . .

. . .Begins With A Singular Passion For Community

Without Goliath, David would just have been some punk throwing rocks.
--Billy Crystal

A milestone, of sorts, here at The Community Alliance blog. Our one thousandth -- count 'em, 1000 -- blogpost.

And to think, it all began when a locally elected official, of the party we often rant about, suggested over lunch, "Why don't you start a blog?"

Thank you, Kate Murray! LOL

So, why a blog, and does what we write here, and what, at least according to internal stats, you read here (in great numbers, we might add), really make a difference?

The answer to the first part of that question (Why a blog) is simple enough.

Through this blog, and our occasional e-mail blasts, we are able to reach people -- lots of people -- in the communities and neighborhoods where advocacy and activism regarding quality of life issues matter most.

That we reach folks beyond Long Island (with subscribers as far away as Oregon. No. Really.), that which impacts on one -- whether high property taxes, financing public education, the lack of affordable housing, or that pothole down the street -- gives reason for all of us to be concerned and get involved.

It is our passion for community that is the impetus for the written word found on this blog, emanating into the vastness of cyberspace and onto your computer screens and Blackberries. And it is your commitment to community that keeps you coming back to these pages -- some of you, to be sure, just to see if we've mentioned your names -- for information, insight (okay, a touch of incite, we admit), opinion, and the occasional belly laugh or guffaw.

This blog is not about us, mere conduits of what's good, and what could be better, in our community. Its about YOU -- the folks who pay those tax bills, fight the blight, vision for the future, and hold the very key to the success of our mutual endeavors to make Long Island -- and re-make Long Island -- the model of suburban life.

The answer to the second part of the query (does it make a difference, in case you forgot), well, we suppose, ultimately, that's something you'll have to decide for yourselves.

We believe that this blog, as silly and inane as it may seem at times, and the work of The Community Alliance, in your neighborhood and behind the scenes, does, if only in a small, perhaps immeasurable and almost imperceptible way, make a difference.

We are reminded of a story that evolved from The Star Thrower. In this parable, a young (but certainly not small) girl, Sara, is throwing a beached starfish -- among thousands that had been washed ashore -- back into the sea, when a passerby, puzzled and astonished by her action, asks: "Why do you bother? There are so many starfish washed up on the beach. Throwing back one can't possibly make a difference."

"It makes a difference to that one," declared Sara, as she prepared to hoist yet another starfish into the vast ocean.

It makes a difference, indeed!

If we -- that's us and you -- have made a difference to just one person, on one block, in one neighborhood, in a single community, well, the journey would have been well worth it.

And now, having completed the journey of a thousand blogposts (boy, are my fingers tired. Should have sought out those corporate sponsors!), we begin our trek down the road. Perhaps toward the second thousand. Perhaps in a new direction.

Either way, we thank you for accompanying us on this long, and often strange trip, and look forward to having you along by our side wherever this communal sojourn may next take us.


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Make a difference. Be a part of your community. Write us at thecommunityalliance@yahoo.com.

The Community Alliance

Common Sense Solutions For Common Community Concerns

New Visions For America's First Suburb