Started out as a Comment, but grew into this
We live in a small town, people still walk places with a destination. I can go to the bank and the tellers all know me by name. I go to the post office and I know every single worker there by name and we chat. If something is marked with a wrong address, I still get my mail. The small health food market is about the same, but neighbors, neighborhood community wise, its fragmented. Cars take people to the bigger stores, people drive 50 miles to work etc. Now when Mei-Ling was in the hospital, their neighbors mowed for them, trimmed a tree that had growth spurting out of the trunk etc. But even with that, its not quite the community that many of us grew up with.I can walk the baby in the carriage safely in our town. You could even walk at night here without a problem. But still, folks are not likely to come sit with you on your porch and have some tea with you unless it was close to a formal invite.
Its something that has just evolved socially in our country, the closed off life, the jump in the metal box to drive here or there, run in the house, run out to get the mail, jump on the computer and have cyber friends, contact at convenience.
We live in a society that sees nothing wrong with having a home so big that everyone has their own "area" and often there are more bathrooms than residents. In selling homes now, the master suite has been re-named "the Owners Retreat". Retreating from what, the job that drives us nuts so we can have more and feel less.
Children grow up wishing they knew their parents better. The saying, it takes a village to raise a child, is so cute, but as we quote it, we move further and further from that concept. A neighborhood is really a village.
When all the gas and oil are used up, or costs an arm and a leg, then maybe we will wish for a corner store. When all we have is cyber friends, we may just wish for that neighbor to sit with us at the kitchen table with a cup of tea or coffee and talk about life.
Much like I have written about throughout my blog using my little phrase, "Women grinding wheat together" to describe a time when women worked together, or visited as a group, or family unit and were there to listen and share with one another.
Its something that has just evolved socially in our country, the closed off life, the jump in the metal box to drive here or there, run in the house, run out to get the mail, jump on the computer and have cyber friends, contact at convenience.
We live in a society that sees nothing wrong with having a home so big that everyone has their own "area" and often there are more bathrooms than residents. In selling homes now, the master suite has been re-named "the Owners Retreat". Retreating from what, the job that drives us nuts so we can have more and feel less.
Children grow up wishing they knew their parents better. The saying, it takes a village to raise a child, is so cute, but as we quote it, we move further and further from that concept. A neighborhood is really a village.
When all the gas and oil are used up, or costs an arm and a leg, then maybe we will wish for a corner store. When all we have is cyber friends, we may just wish for that neighbor to sit with us at the kitchen table with a cup of tea or coffee and talk about life.
Much like I have written about throughout my blog using my little phrase, "Women grinding wheat together" to describe a time when women worked together, or visited as a group, or family unit and were there to listen and share with one another.
Comments
Hope you all have a blessed weekend.
Laura