It’s hard to forget that we are all connected when you can hear your neighbors through your walls and smell what it is that they are having for dinner. Sometimes we might want to be just a little less connected, but the truth is that however close or distant our neighbors might be, our actions always affect someone.
What is your favorite—and least favorite—way you connect with your neighbors?
My favorite way to connect with my neighbors is to let all of our children play together. One of the benefits of living in “the cheap seats” in my town is that the houses are closer together than in other places. So the kids can play in the street and we parents can sit on our stoops and see 8 houses of playing kids with the slightest turn our our heads. The kids have the freedom to come and go into each other’s yards and houses and we parents know that our diverse group of children (multiracial boys & girls aged 3 to 10) are safe in the homes/yards of their neighborhood friends, getting dirty, playing hard and having fun.
We parents can talk and catch up while we listen to the kids and settle disputes (we’re dealing with kids – there’s always some conflict or random whining going on). Sometimes, this is the only time we parents get to sit down together and talk about our lives, our jobs, and the kids activities since we’re all so busy and free afternoons don’t happen as often as we’d like. It helps me to remember how valuable connections to the people around us can be.
Sadly, I live in a neighborhood where people are very tacitern and don’t connect much at all- just nods- but when I walk the dog there are a few people who will greet and chat-share about the day, gardens or the weather- (always a hot topic here in New England).
CLeone (sorry about spelling -not a strength)