I’m a little sick of hearing myself….blog.

So I thought I would ask you wise people a question. A question that I have been debating for the better part of the last decade. A question that as soon I think I can answer with complete confidence suddenly confounds me.

Can guys and girls be friends?

Really close friends?

Best friends?

With what limitations?

Why or why not?

Talk amongst yourselves…

When I am looking for definitions, I typically pull out my oh-so-handy Webster’s Dictionary (or search my Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary online).

Here’s their definition of community:

Main Entry: com·mu·ni·ty

Pronunciation: \kə-ˈmyü-nə-tē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural com·mu·ni·ties

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English comunete, from Anglo-French communité, from Latin communitat-, communitas, from communis

Date: 14th century

1 : a unified body of individuals: as a : state, commonwealth b : the people with common interests living in a particular area; broadly : the area itself <the problems of a large community> c : an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location d : a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society <a community of retired persons> e : a group linked by a common policy f : a body of persons or nations having a common history or common social, economic, and political interests <the international community> g : a body of persons of common and especially professional interests scattered through a larger society <the academic community>

2 : society at large

3 a : joint ownership or participation <community of goods> b : common character : likeness <community of interests> c : social activity : fellowship d : a social state or condition

Is it just me or do you sometimes put away your dictionary more confused than ever about a word’s meaning? Since Webster’s couldn’t provide an easy answer…how do YOU define community?

For me I think “community” is all about a group of people uniting around common passions. And let’s be honest, there are A LOT of things people are passionate about.. fantasy football, running, Alabama football, sewing, comic books, churches, The Grateful Dead, the outdoors, the Amish, college basketball, the Bible…just to name a few.

Web 2.0 technologies allow us to find, and gather with, people down the street, across town, or on the other side of the world who share our passions. We no longer are constricted by geography. Our online communities are not hindered by physical boundaries.

And from what I have experienced, when a group of people are united behind feeding the hungry, praying for the sick, holding one another accountable to His standard, or even just walking through life together, a very powerful and intimate community is created. And it makes no difference if they are physically in the same location or online.

This spring when I started blogging, I had the simple goal of having a place to put my thoughts down in written form to make sense of them. (I discovered that sometimes in written form they still don’t make a lot of sense.)

Yet today I find myself completely immersed in this Web 2.0 world. Not because I am naive enough to think people care what I have to say or because I need to bring order to my random thoughts but because of something entirely different. Because of community.

I blog, I facebook, and I twitter as a way to interact with friends, old and new. I want to hear what they have to say, I want to find out what they think, I want to discover what they are doing (and sometimes eating), and I want to encourage them in their walk. Because they encourage me in mine.

If you are navigating this Web 2.0 world and you aren’t in it for the community, you are missing out, big time. If you are after followers or subscribers but not looking for friends, you will never fully embrace the power of social media.

This week, I would encourage you to take time out of your day to cultivate community online. Strive to be about something more than yourself, strive to be about engaging with and encouraging others. You will not regret it.

It is this easy:

1. Comment on a blog post. One thing I have learned since blogging is that comments mean everything. Everything. Comments mean that people are out there reading what I have to say. Let someone know you are out there listening and that you care what they have to say.
2. Retweet. If you read something you like and you think it will be helpful for someone else, take a minute to RT it. Use your influence to share links, blog posts, and thoughts that you found insightful. It will not go unnoticed.
3. Call out some of your favorite tweeps on #FollowFriday. I went through a long hiatus where I didn’t participate in #FollowFriday because I thought it was kind of stupid. But last week I realized that anytime someone included me in their #FollowFriday list it would put a little bounce in my step. Yep, it is that easy to brighten my day. And so from now on I am not going let a Friday pass without spreading some #FollowFriday love.

What are other easy and practical ways that you cultivate community online?