Where am I from no longer defines my identity.
I am not an American. Nor am I a Christian, Jew, Muslim, European, New Yorker or Democrat. I am part of a global community where there is no defined dogma. A community where I am free to celebrate and experience the diverse cultures of the world and view them as unique expressions of the human experience. I see each culture with openness, curiosity and empathy.
I am certainly not a nomad, transient or ex-pat. I feel at home in the world. I am part of a community that holds our dogmas lightly. We learn, change, adapt and share so that others might learn with us. We are the platform and the content creators. The artists and the canvas.
We have already defined a new story and you are part of it.
We value our experiences and each other. We create the world we want to live in. We are a global community; one where everyone feels welcome, at home and nothing is an externality. It’s as if the old world didn’t know what to do with us — so we created a completely new layer upon the one we inherited.
Traditional media stopped paying attention to us so we stopped paying attention to it and created our own. Traditional politics didn’t respond to our needs and the problems we face, so we created our own tools to drive change. Traditional methods of keeping score didn’t work, so we came up with new metrics to determine, success, value, happiness and worth.
We turned our attention away from the state, the nation and the religions and turned it on the world. This simple yet rebellious act dismantles the historic ways of grouping and control.
We are not nomads.
We are a global community defined by the experiences we seek and the values we share.
Our world isn’t one of boarders or things that can be marketed and sold in boxes. It is one that you have to go experience. For us, this is everything. We know these things because they are inside of each of us.
Each individual, an integral part of a fast growing global village.
We mark the beginning of the era of global citizenry. A thought and a concept for many years — but today the tools are here. The internet opened up a portal to the cultures, viewpoints and cities of the world. A person no longer needs much money to learn, experience and connect with peers across the world.
This is the exact moment when a global community becomes aware of itself — the moment we remember that we are all in this together. That we already have the power, the tools and numbers.
This is the exact moment when we realize that we have already started something new.
We made the internet, social media, the apps and the messengers and we know how to use them to travel, learn, communicate and organize. We’ve formed groups, communities and events all based around our shared yet unspoken ethos.
So, open your eyes. Take a deep breath. It’s happening. The global community is here. Each seeming set back — lights our path forward. Together we tell a story that protects all people, the planet and all beings. This is not about restricting any one person — but about setting us all free.
It is no longer about us vs. them — it’s about empathy, compassion and love.
This is what is happening right now and you are already part of it.
A Modern Community was originally published in RETURN on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.