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It Takes a Village

In tribal villages, there is a sense of community. A sense of really knowing your neighbor.
In my community we have none of that. We have garages, so we never even have to see eachother getting in and out of our cars. We have indoor entertainment, and high concrete block walls to keep our selves in these little boxes of our own. We want to have our own spaces so much that we close off those people around us, and live alone, is it any wonder there is so much depression in this day and age?
We don't even have any idea who our neighbors are. I think that is bad, its harming the way we raise our children. Instead of having a neighbor to say "Hey I need some help right now." We have nothing a family who lives far away a husband who works far enough away that he can't even run home if needed.
My house feels like a loner in a sea of stucco and paint. We don't know the ones who reside in the stucco and paint that stands next to us. So how do we build a community? How do we make the people who are living in houses across the street become friends, comrades, and not strangers? Where to even begin.

I only know that it takes a village to raise a happy healthy child, so I had better start working on my village.

2 comments:

TLC said...

i hear you - that is one thing that i have always done is make friends w/ at least one neighbor and have had great success in the past. both our neighbors moved away a few months after us moving in. just a month ago a new neighbor moved in and we never saw them at all until one day they posted a "it's a boy" sign in their yard. Last week on one of my good days, (not that good mind you to BAKE) i brought them some cookies from tj's and a card that introduced us and congratulated them. Clint was very adamant that we just not talk about doing it but actually DO it. I'm glad we did and hope that when summer comes we will get to know them better. Wow- i must be feeling good to be up and writing!!!

Pen-nut said...

Having friends for neighbors is wonderful, but definatly something that is hard in this day and age. In our old home our cul-d-sac was very close. We all knew each other, had neighborhood yard sales every year, shared Christmas goodies, and our lifes. I miss that. This neighborhood isn't like that. And like you I need to start something. Just need to get brave and DO IT!

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