Community

People are bonded together to form communities. Personally, I am a part of several different communities such as my family community. My family includes my mother, father, and my older and younger sisters, but also my closest friends. I consider family to be with the ones that know and love me for who I am in which I do the same to them. These types of relationships can only be formed if I am a literate part of the group.
To be a part of my family community there are rules that need to be followed. First and most importantly since I am far away at college, I need to keep in close contact with my family that is at home. I communicate with my parents and my little sister everyday whether it is through phone, e-mail, text message, eye-chat, or written letters. Literacy is a necessity there because I would not be able to keep in touch with them if I was not able to perform such tasks. Being able to communicate like this strengthens our family relationship bond which causes us to love each other the way that we do. This communication is a rule in our house because we were such a close family before I left for school so it is more important now more than ever to keep this rule in place.
An important rule that is apparent in our home is that we must always be respectful no matter what the circumstance. We have practiced good manners since we were younger and that is what how we are expected to act. Yelling and screaming is not allowed in our house. Being rude to others, especially adults, is completely unacceptable. We are always supposed to be polite around the dinner table and when meeting new people.
Another rule that must be followed in our home is trust and honesty. Also we must be trustworthy so that other people will be easier to trust you, which is important to form the healthiest relationship. This trust is gained by being honest about everything and not feeling the need to lie about it.
As for my closest best friends, there are also rules that need to be followed. For my friends that do not attend the same college as I do, the same rules for my family at home apply. The only way to continue the bonds I have with those people is to communicate with them as often as possible. With my friends here at school with me, it is important to be respectful and understanding to their needs, wants, and beliefs. It is the only way that a true relationship will happen. We do not talk about our friends behind their back because it only causes problems and will not be acceptable in our community. It shows a lack of trust and respect.
Community is something that everyone should be a part of. It is necessary to follow the rules that each individual community follows. Being literate about these rules is the only way one will be able to remain active in the community.