Wish You Were Here

When was the last time you sent a postcard? Received one? I feel like vacation postcards used to be a bigger deal than they are today, what with the instant communication capabilities of smart phones and social media. These days I’m more likely to receive a postcard-sized piece of mail trying to sell me something or reminding me to vote.

The Columbia Association got me thinking about postcards with their new Columbia Village promotion, shared here from Instagram.

Dear Columbia,

We love our villages' uniqueness and want you to share those memories with us!

Celebrate Your Village Pride

Whether it's a candid snapshot, a portrait from your favorite village event, or a landscape that embodies the spirit of your neighborhood, share your pride through your lens!

You may see your entry on a postcard.

Here’s the link to learn more and to submit a photo: Columbia Village Photo Contest.

I must admit I was surprised to see CA focusing on Villages. They seem to be far more interested in CA services and programs and the overall CA brand of late. I’m extremely curious as to how these postcards will be used. Any ideas?

Way back in 2013 I wrote about the whole Village concept and wondered about its present day relevance.

How Villagey Are You? Village Green/Town², May 23, 2013

When newer residents move to Columbia, they may be looking for the right house at the right price, good schools, a decent commute. The Village concept may not even figure into the decision at all. Once they are here, it remains possible to live, work and shop without really gaining an understanding of what Columbia's Villages mean, or the unique qualities of their own village. It may be hard for long-time Columbians to believe this, but it's true. Columbia can be just a nice suburban place with grass and trees and shopping centers, if you don't know.

Frankly, I’d love to see a slide show of all of the submitted photos, in order to learn more about other people’s villages. What are the favorite vistas? Cherished views? Village-centric activities and events? I think it would be fun to get a glimpse into all the other bubbles inside our big Columbubble.

Speaking of the Big Columbubble, the CA Board is conducting virtual interviews for hiring a new President/CEO. After that they will move to the final stages of the hiring process. The goal is to have the new hire on board by May 1st.

I haven’t seen any official word on how long after the date of hire the Board will be required to wait before they devour them. Those sorts of things tend to happen on their own timeline.

Do you think you might have a postcard perfect photo? Let me know.

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