When I was a kid, our neighborhood pool had a high dive. I couldn’t wait to try it. The first couple of weeks, I’d climb up the ladder, walk out to the edge of the diving board, peer down into the deep end, then chicken out and climb right back down the ladder. Over and over.
Finally, one day, as I turned to make my usual retreat, a lifeguard blew his whistle. He shook his head and motioned firmly: jump.
So I did, and I loved it. That first leap changed everything. I spent the rest of the summer climbing, running, bouncing, and diving, over and over again, as if I’d been born to that high dive.
I’ve realized I approach new communities the same way. I show up eager, but I take a while to find my bearings. I hover on the edge. Sometimes, if I’m honest, I linger a little too long before jumping in.
I've been in Alabama for a year, and I have joined in a bit, but mostly held back. Now the school year has started again, and with it, the rhythms of community life. It feels like the right moment to take the plunge. So I've signed up for a few things, and here I go.
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