Just a brief note…..if you have ever had an idea about getting the neighbors together on your street, to meet each other, how many do you think would answer your invitation?
My street has 40 families on it. One kindly gentleman on the block had the idea of having a block party. He said he was tired of not knowing who his neighbors really were. He printed up 40 invitations and put them in every mailbox, with a phone number to which to respond.
We needed a simple majority of ‘yes’ responses in order to apply for a City permit to block the street off for part of the day…..we are a side street, of course. Except for a few apologies from folks who were going to be away on vacation, we had a 100% positive response.
Without dwelling on expectations about what was expected, or not, let’s look at the result……the day was a smashing success! Neighbors were eager to meet each other, and the potluck was worth a line or two in any culinary magazine! The kids had the whole street on which to ride their bikes and create art with sidewalk chalk. We adults chatted, learned about each other, backgrounds, hobbies, and the skills that might be great to exchange.
Didn’t know the gal down the street played the cello, or the guy across the street was a master at wood carvings, or the lady a few houses down was an excellent home-schooler.
How different the block appears after that day! And what a sense of satisfaction, that all this occurred because one gentleman had an idea to bring us together as community! And plans are in place for a bigger, more fun event next summer.
Life is sometimes an inaccurate conclusion….the main one being that it isn’t safe to step out of our comfort zone and talk to people. Sometimes, or maybe most times, it takes one person to be the one to give us permission to step out…..why is that?
But, the ‘Why’ is probably of no significance. What is more important is the ‘Who’?
I suggest that we are already community and have forgotten. It takes someone to step up and interrupt whatever is going on, and say, “Hello! Let’s have a get-together to meet each other as neighbors. Wanna play?”
Whoever that person might be, let us celebrate her or him, for they really, really matter!
Rich