USA Today has several articles that offer some insight into the fast-changing nature of communities. The quick pace of modern life puts stresses on people's abilities to cope with everyday stuff, let alone preparation for a variety of unforeseen events.

For starters , solid education might be weakened if there is no coordination between preschool and early elementary. Early gains can be lost and youngsters can have learning challenges by the time the hard work begins. With coordinated programs , rates of failure and lackluster performance can be reduced. Good minds, interested in learning, are the best Preparedness tool we have. Quick decisions and good planning are best aided by intelligence.

New communities are taking shape, and quickly. This has political repercussions, as reported here . But this also reflects how communities pop up almost overnight, populated by different people with different experiences. It takes a little time for these Chia  towns to develop their own, organic sense. Put simply, neighbors are neighbors by chance. That's a big difference from memories of where you grew up, I'll bet, where everyone knew each other and helped out.

With all this change and with "strangers" everywhere, it's no surprise that threats can come from anywhere —it might not be so easy to spot a kook and steer clear. "It's not school violence—it's community violence that takes place in schools," says an expert quoted in the article. While adults deal with commutes, interest rates, and other grownup hassles, kids can feel the pressure of an unstable world , especially with recent violence on their turf—school.

The rapid pace compromises nutrition, too. A full one-third of kids are considered out of shape , and many are considered obese. Maybe family meals are the place to start.

(I know, I'm in the same boat—it's hard to have dinner before 8:00 if you get home and start cooking like Mom used to. I'm just saying ...)

It's up to us to take charge of our lives , nurture our families, build our communities. And I know you know and are working as hard as you can to do just that. The point? Stay with it, Citizen Hero. The stakes are high.