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2022: Creating a Lexicon of Future
C is for Cornerstone
A cornerstone is defined as something that is essential, indispensable, or basic to a system. It is the the chief foundation on which something is constructed or developed.
In ancient architecture, the cornerstone was the first stone laid in the foundation of a building and its importance was both practical and irreplaceable. It was by the cornerstone that the whole building was oriented. The cornerstone was the stone that all other stones in the building was referenced to and oriented toward. In other words, as the cornerstone was so was the whole structure. ~ The Cornerstone
Beyond the Building: Cornerstones of Community Wealth
Community Wealth is all the monetary and non-monetary capital (relationships, respect, trust, environmental, energy, knowledge, etc.) that create the basis of shared experiences leading to wisdom, empathy and community. It is these capital elements which transform a neighborhood from a collection of individual families sharing a ZIP code to a real community in which every member understands the purpose of Community is to produce the individual and mutual wellbeing of all the participants, in an ongoing way.
Although it can be difficult to measure the value of non-monetary wealth, it is not impossible. We can see and engage with these intangible elements of wealth whenever we enter our cornerstone community spaces: places of education, the corner store, and the spiritual centers, i.e., the mind, body and spirit of every community. ~ Cornerstones of Community Wealth
