I just returned from a 2-week trip in southern France's Provence region. The highlight of my trip was the town of Arles, which is situated on the Rhone River not very far from where it meets the Mediterranean Sea. This is the town where Vincent van Gogh lived, painted, and eventually cut off his ear while on an absinthe binge.
Arles is an ancient town that was established by the Greeks as early as the 6th century BC, and later by the Romans took the town in 123 BC and expanded it into an important city.
Today, though the modern world has clearly arrived in Arles, history is alive. Not only in its mix of buildings ranging from 400 to almost 2000 years old, but in its traditions -- especially, its strong, enduring community spirit that lives most vividly in its festivals.
I accidently came into Arles during one of its most passionate festivals--the Feria du Riz – the Rice Harvest Festival. For three days the cobbled streets of the city are home to the most spectacular Spanish fiesta in France. Every cafe concocts its own huge pan of steaming paella, bulls are set loose for a ritual running every night, and the famed Arene d’Arles coliseum hosts the best matadors this side of Madrid.
Putting aside the (justifably) controversial nature of bullfights, what I witnessed in Arles was the expression of a passionate sense of community that is missing in much of the modern world, and notably in the United States.
The festival was ostensibly about bulls, eating and partying, but it was really about something much more profound: the need of human beings to feel connected to one another.
"Many people never go to to see the bullfights. But everyone enjoys the big party," one local explained to me. "Things are fun and crazy...people dance. We just want to be in the streets with everyone together."
Though it may be a far-from-home example, Arles reveals something more fundamental than we might think. The need for human connectedness is a universal human desire, and it's in somewhat short shrift these days.
Consider ways to create meaning, community and dialoque among people in your marketplace. It's not just a smart marketing strategy, but one that can deliver an emotional payoff too.
Resource: Own Your Niche by Building a Niche Community (4-Part Blog Series)
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