Somero Community

Someone asked me the other day why I bothered writing this blog. I got the feeling that the man who asked was the type of person who thinks that things in life are only worth doing if you are paid for them. Actually I have known a lot of people like that, but not many of them are in Somero, which is probably one of the reasons I enjoy living here so much.

In fact the real answer to his question is simple. The first response is that I enjoy writing and taking photos. So in my view it makes sense to write and take photos! The second is that Somero is an important place to me. Not only is it home to me and to my children, but it is also somewhere where the word "community" still means something. And perhaps this blog is one small way to celebrate that.

We live in a world where families don't keep in touch as much as they used to. Where single people sometimes don't talk to anyone else for weeks. Where people can die and no one can notice for days or even longer.  Community is something which has disappeared in many of the places where it once used to be.

But there is still a community here in Somero. Maybe I can try and explain that a bit. For example, this evening I ordered pizza from the Didim pizza shop in town, and after I had paid and left the shop, the guy chased me out to the car because he had seen the children and wanted to give them lollipops.

Earlier today I went into the bank (Säästöpankki) to pay the mortgage and just as I had done so, the lady who made the transfer asked me if I had enough money to last for the rest of the month. She didn't need to do that, she just wanted to make sure we were ok.

Over the last week I have been on my own with the children and have been invited for lunch or tea three times by friends in the town. Anyone who is a single Mum of young children will know that this does not happen everywhere, and will also know what a luxury that is.

Somero is a place where you can be friends with your son's teacher and the bank manager on Facebook and where you can telephone the library, sport's centre, doctor's, chemist or bank and you are answered by a person and not a machine.

This same week one of my neighbours appeared at the front door with a box full of blueberries she had picked from the forest. Just because she thought the children would enjoy them.

And on the street last weekend I bumped into two people I hadn't seen for a while. Both asked how I was and actually stopped to hear the answer. How often does that happen these days? They also told me their news, and both encounters finished with a hug.

That is what I mean when I say there is a sense of community in this town. The examples above are just some of the reasons we feel at home living here, and one of the reasons I enjoy writing this blog. And don't plan to stop any time soon!