They may or may not be the ones we were born into, but if you’re truly a member of a community, you’re there because you belong. You have found people like you, and you have made hard decisions about your priorities to be with those people. In true communities, you matter as a person, and other community members care what happens to you, cheer when you succeed, commiserate when you fail and help you keep going.

As John Roedel said, “I was not born for these times — it’s all too sharp, too loud, too fast for me. I was made for an age of dirt roads, soft light, quiet skies and where our kindness has the patience of trees.”

Communities are filled with traditions, rituals, perseverance, connections and an appreciation for those who came before us and an appreciation for returning home when our feet have taken us elsewhere.

Patty and Matt Poole jet-setted off to California to catch up with friends, wander amongst some gigantic trees, attend Connor Johnson’s wedding (a childhood friend of Alex’s) and then returned feeling refreshed and invigorated. A change of scenery can do that for you.

Janet Weidner and Tom Ruimerman made the pilgrimage to western Virginia to chat it up with granddaughter Maria. She’s a fabulous walking and talking little human who calls Janet “Oma” and Tom “Gumpy.” Much to the family’s delight, it is an adaptation of grumpy grampy.

Uncle Pete and girlfriend Anna Burt paid a visit as well. Yes, of course Maria’s parents Kimberlie and Andrew were in the mix as well, but when there is a toddler, the parents are secondary.

Emma and her mom Kristie Mayhew have returned from some fun in the sun at Disney World. For many, Disney is the most magical place on Earth where dreams come true and there are no worries. Hakuna Matata.

Jim Feiner also hopped on a jet plane and made his way to Crete to connect with a friend and join 18 people he’d never met on a bike trip. The group averaged about 40 miles per day. They ate flavorful Greek cuisine. They learned about making bread, farming, local culture and then, all too quickly, the trip was over. It sounds like a truly fantastic and eye opening adventure.

Otto Osmers went on a brief little walkabout that took him outside Menemsha harbor to haul some gear. Knowing Marshall had started up a saltwater tank on the counter at the Texaco, had him searching for contributions. The tank was quickly busting with hermit crabs, brittle starfish, goby fish, a sand dab, tiny little shrimp (or shrimp-like things), sea urchins, periwinkles and more. The tank is mesmerizing.

Hollis Oliver has quite literally been running away and then back again. He’s been a star performer on the Falmouth Academy’s cross country team. Mom, Liz, ran off Island on Monday evening to revel in Hollis’s excitement at the fall sports night where Hollis was awarded the Cape and Islands League All-Star and Cape and Islands Sportsmanship awards and honored as team MVP.

Elisha Weisner and his fellow Kahoots band members will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of their Yellow Yellow album at the PA Club on Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. When this album dropped, the players were John Larsen, Nina Muckerheide, JJ O’Connell, Charlie Esposito, Rob Myers and Elisha. Mark your calendar. It should be fun night out, but if you can’t make it, seek out some listening pleasure for your ears on the website Bandcamp.

Barn Again will be a little quieter next summer. Bob Shalhope spent his last day on Earth in his favorite chair at their offseason home in Oklahoma. His presence will be missed strolling the byways of Chilmark and sharing thoughts, ideas and words on Squid Row. Please send along a little extra love to his remarkable bride and companion Emma, kids Robert and Adelaide and the whole extended family.

Sometimes the chaos of life gets to me. It happened this week, but I turned the chaos into brownies. There are a lot of friends, including many family members, in the midst of dealing with alpha gal.

I reached out to Jan Burhman, who has become an alpha gal friendly foodie, for a decadent allergy safe brownie recipe. I gave it a go with minor modifications expecting something likely dry, bland and needing to be topped with ice cream — which would defeat the purpose all together. I was pleasantly surprised to be rewarded with a pan full of rich, fudge-y and stand-on-its-own true chocolatey goodness. Thank you, Jan. I was surprisingly capable in the kitchen which is usually a venue where I am not at home.