Everything we do is built on trust. We have a complex system of people we have to trust to obtain the things we need to live. We work a certain amount of time, trusting that we will receive currency in exchange. We take that currency to a store, trusting that they will exchange food for the currency. We trust that the people who grew and processed that food did so safely and we trust that what the package says is in the food, actually is.
We trust that fellow drivers will stop at red lights, we trust that our rent payment will allow us to stay in our home for another month, we trust that tap water is safe to consume, we trust the police will protect us, we trust that injustice will be punished.
But what happens when the water is contaminated, the police are corrupt, and injustice is celebrated?
How can we know who we can trust?
We feed each other during potlucks.
When we meet someone new, we connect through something we share, an identity, fandom, even the weather around us.
We might be more willing to accept help from a friend’s friend than a stranger.
When we want to hire a plumber, we ask friends for a recommendation.
How else can community help us trust each other?
~Aline Harris
