In today's world, we can build a community wherever we choose regardless of distance. With inexpensive or free long-distance telephone service, the Internet, Facebook, YouTube and more, we can be a part of any community even after we physically remove ourselves from it. Through social media, I continue to communicate with former classmates in my hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. I don't think we talked to each other this much in high school!

Last year, there was a Facebook post that circulated through many communities. I was drawn to the following line. "If you grew up on the Northside, you remember …" This started a conversation that reunited me with neighbors I hadn't heard from in more than 30 years and introduced me to many more that I had never met. We reminisced about local stores, restaurants, roller rinks and teachers. It was great fun to catch up, and it also made me think about how much we know about our virtual communities, and how little we know about our physical communities.