i do my best to fulfill my civic duty by voting, paying taxes, being a good steward of my neighborhood (not trashing it, picking up garbage, etc)
i also try to befriend people in various local communities, help them when possible, and bring people together who have common interests or problems
when i am spending disposable money i try to shop local. being on good terms with family owned businesses is good for me and them - prices might be a bit higher but you get better service and can do eachother favors
i moved away from home by myself, so learning about local history, caring about my local environment, and building a broad social network has helped me put my roots down and make this place my home. i was isolated for years and just sort of felt detached and lonely.
learning about local history helped me learn about my place in this town's "story", putting effort into the local environment made me feel invested in everyone's general well-being, and integrating myself into the local social fabric made me feel less lonely and more at home. at first meeting people felt hard but once i made a few acquaintances things snowballed pretty fast and now i always have somewhere to be. only problem is now i wish i had more time to be alone and play games lol