That might seem an odd question to ask. It’s a curious one to answer.
On a relatively broad level, perhaps you might say Caversham chimes well with where you work. Or you like the local architecture or the local history. You might focus on the people, or the local environment. Etc.
You might focus on personal things for example, such as your hobbies and interests and how the local area is in one way or another good for them. Or you might highlight local amenities or things such as shops, restaurants, schools and pubs. And, of course, nothing you might focus on excludes other aspects.
But while you can think about any or all of these things as important elements in your life, it is easy to forget is that these elements don’t exist in isolation. What is crucial to keep in mind is that the overall quality of your life is created by the broader context in which you live.
The emphasis is on the ‘overall’. Even if you feel something doesn’t personally impact on you, it will do so indirectly. You might feel your day-to-day life is fine. So far, so good, but if the local health care, roads, crime, litter or whatever else are bad, that will directly undermine the quality of life that you, the individual, experience. And this might be now or in the future.
So, given that these are aspects to your life that are important to you, the question then becomes, what can you, personally, do to bolster the overall quality of life that you (and others) enjoy.
There are individual things you can do; there are things you can do as part of a larger organization – there is a huge variety of charities out there that will welcome the help you and your skill-set can provide.
This all can and should be a variable. After all, while you might be good at some things, others will be good at others.
There’s always the question of the time you have available. But that said, even small deeds contribute to the big picture.
Yes, obviously enough, there are some things you can’t do yourself, which aren’t within the scope of charities either. For that kind of thing, don’t be shy of telling the people who can act – local government, national government, politicians, businesses that deal with bigger issues (utilities companies for example) and whoever else.
And don’t be fooled. By which I mean, don’t be fooled into thinking you’re powerless to influence and, ultimately, help change things. It can be a struggle, sure, but you can make a noise, make your concerns public, make ignoring you difficult and counter-productive. You can make a difference.
It suits people with money and power to promote the idea that you, the individual, can’t change anything. What we all need to remember is that what’s now the status quo hasn’t always been so. You don’t need to be an historian to know that all businesses can fail, all governments can fall, all regimes can crumble.
If you’re thinking or feeling you’re powerless, instead think about why you believe that’s the case … and who benefits from you believing that.
And if you’re thinking this is all ‘big issue’ stuff, think again. At root, all the things you like about living in Caversham, everything that makes up your quality of life, only exists because of people – people like you.
