Leon, Nicaragua has an enormous history and a very powerful sense of community. I sensed an overwhelming love for baseball (more than futbol) and street pizza.

When I think about the word community, my right brain veers towards a visual representation that is vibrant, colorful and intersects like connective tissue. Community is hard to define, and community members may not even share a common definition for it. My left brain tends to analyze the actual etymology of the Latin-based term: commonness, public, shared interest, a grouping. The linguist in me ties in the noun commune, which has a similar stem, but its meaning thought of differently: a group of people living together and sharing possessions and responsibilities (Winona Ryder comes to mind). I appreciate the verb to commune in light of CEnR: to commune is to converse or talk together, usually with profound intensity, intimacy, etc.; interchange thoughts or feelings. The next place I could go is communication. How does a community communicate? Through a shared interest? A shared language? Learning the language is part of the community development process. If you speak the language, does that make you part of the community?

What would your visual of community look like? Be sure to tag your photo: CEnR1 and follow Tom’s instructions.

Etymology and definitions yoinked from here.