March 26, 2001
Many wonderful things have
happened since I have begun to write, and more importantly, send these weekly
messages. Maybe the greatest
dividend has been discovering my neighborhood and really getting to know some of
my neighbors.
A sense of community can take
shape in many places. It can be in
a church, a civic organization, a book club, even a group at work.
It seems that today in our fast paced lives we slip in and out of our
garages or slip in and out of our apartments frantic to get to the next
activity, and we barely notice our neighbors, let alone know their names.
Thus we miss out on a community that is literally next door.
A few years ago, Tracy Lawrence recorded a song, “If The World Had A
Front Porch like we had back then …” It points out the virtues of the
neighborhood including the power of people coming together, communicating and
caring
A good friend in our
neighborhood asked me to walk with him from time to time.
Battling cancer, he jokes that it is more like a shuffle.
He is retired from the military and talked one day about life on the base
and the challenge of always moving around.
What evolved from this dynamic lifestyle was openness between neighbors.
With the knowledge that you never knew when you would be transferred, or
when the family next door would be moving on, you took the initiative to get to
know your neighbors as soon as you or they moved in.
There was no time for getting around to it someday.
I have to say that I don’t
know all the neighbors on my street. The
ones I do know have become even closer to me somehow as I have written these
messages and they are reading them. They
are beginning to see the “real” me and in turn show me new sides of them.
One wrote to say that a man next door to them had a serious stroke.
I called his wife even though I had never met her, and told her he was in
my prayers. My gesture surprised
her and she said she couldn’t believe I would make such a call. All I did was
make a call to a neighbor who I knew was hurting.
Nothing more than I would hope for if the roles were reversed.
There will always be certain
members of your community who may not embrace the value of being neighborly.
There may be the dog that wanders over to explore your garbage on trash
days or kids who are a little too loud for your liking.
But if that is all you see you may miss out on the souls behind the
windshield of the car going down the street.
Part of my spiritual journey is
jumping into this experience called life headfirst. That means taking risks by getting to know people wherever I
go and knowing them sooner than later. I
recognize that some people want their privacy and I can respect that.
But I want to feel a sense of community that comes with knowing my
neighbors and caring about them and hoping in return they care about me.
It starts with a simple “hello”.
It’s spring and the yard needs
a little work. It’s spring and
the idea of sitting outside is calling you.
It’s spring and you’re starting to see the neighbors out again.
Why not take the time to get to know them better?
I have done it and my soul is better for it.
With respect, acceptance, and
love,
Richard