The experience of being at home

A new month is here! I hope your August calendar is slowly filling with fun outings and fine company, along with a few days left free for unplanned adventures or nothing at all.

As we slowly begin to turn Uncommon in Common into pixels, it’s a good time to start exploring what we’re building and the future roadmap. Though there are many unknowns that can only be answered by actual experience, our chances of success are much greater with a clear foundation. This week, I want to begin sharing the elements, from features to inspirations and key words, that I think define Uncommon.

These ideas are just the start, though. I want to hear from as many of you as possible. What sounds fantastic and what might not be a good fit? What’s missing? Help make this better.

If you’re more excited about experiencing Uncommon than creating it, that’s great, too. Enjoy the story and wait for us on the porch, we’ll be there as soon as we can :)

Community timeline

The first feature is an idea for a community timeline, The Story So Far. This would be a way to replay the story of the community by horizontally scrolling through the days; read emails and posts, see when people joined, and possibly revisit the site as it was that day.

While much of our online lives is fleeting, this would provide a shared sense of history.

Your thoughts

Last week, I asked about your favorite ice cream. Brad and Adam show just how fascinating the stories behind our favorite things can be.

My favorite ice cream is unique and difficult to acquire, as is the  wont of my favorite things. My favorite ice cream is eggnog ice cream from the Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream chain. It’s a seasonal flavor, so already elusive, but also apparently only granted to specific locations. This is, of core, torture, for a devotee of their delicious treats. Thusly, I end up eating my favorite ice cream very slowly. — Brad

There is something peculiarly amazing about mint ice cream. I think it’s the synergy between senses; all at once cold, crisp and fresh to the touch, tongue and nose. To be clear, I mean just plain mint. Without the added and unnecessary complication of chocolate chips or candy-cane pieces. Finding mint ice cream is incredibly elusive—usually only crafted at mom-and-pop scoop shops. All the brand name places cater to the instant gratification more-more-more clientele. The rocky-road peanut-butter with sprinkles crowd. It’s only the craft creameries that appreciate the cleanliness and simple pleasure of mint and nothing ice cream. — Adam

Uncommon reads

A quote from Peter Block’s terrific book, Community: The Structure of Belonging

We are in a community each time we find a place where we belong. It is membership, the experience of being at home.

Your turn

There’s no reason why conversations and introductions have to wait for a website. In fact, there is a fun idea in the works for a decidedly nondigital way to get started. In the meantime, if you’d like to introduce yourself to the Uncommon community, send me a short note along with an interesting tidbit (maybe one of your favorite things or an idea you’re toying with) and a link to where people can find you and I’ll include them in future dispatches.