Reflections on Jamaica. What's wrong with us?

kath · 02-23-2005

I get what you're saying... things have changed - and it's pretty fucked up. When I was growing up (mid-70's) we DID bring new neighbors a pie, or some sort of home-made gift, to welcome them to the neighborhood. We had block parties every year and everyone made an effort to get along - whether it was the noisy house with all the cars on blocks at the end of the street that annoyed everyone the other 364 days of the year, or if it was the Catholic family with 11 kids that always seemed to be in everyone's yard at any given time - we were neighbors and that MEANT something.

Today - living in another state mind you, and California to boot - I don't see ANYTHING resembling a "neighborhood" feeling like I experienced growing up in Ohio. Sure, you could argue that CA and OH are millions of miles apart culturally and in many ways I would agree - but the basic foundations of a neighborhood should be *somewhat* at play out here I would imagine. I live in a small but growing desert town - nice manicured lawns, newer homes, kids of all ages and families of all types - but do I know any of my neighbors? Nope. Did anyone welcome us to the neighborhood? Nope. I wave at people, have spoken to the parents of the kids my kids hang out with occassionally (but rarely at best because the communication lines are NOT open there unfortunately - they are all too busy with their lives to know what their kids are doing) and of course we have the typical busy-body neighbor that tries to be in everyone's business. When he comes up to your car on a warm summer evening to shoot the breeze you know it's a fishing trip more than anything neighborly. lol

My best friends are people I work with online and people I grew up with "back home" in Ohio... and my family. We are very close and tight-knit. I'm very lucky to have all the people I have in my life - but would love for my kids to know that feeling of living in a true "neighborhood" where people say hello, actually give a rat's ass about each other and know each other on a first-name basis instead of referring to each other as "the family with the blue car" or "the ones with the shitty lawn."

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02-23-2005	#11
kath Members Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: California, USA Posts: 1,340	I get what you're saying... things have changed - and it's pretty fucked up. When I was growing up (mid-70's) we DID bring new neighbors a pie, or some sort of home-made gift, to welcome them to the neighborhood. We had block parties every year and everyone made an effort to get along - whether it was the noisy house with all the cars on blocks at the end of the street that annoyed everyone the other 364 days of the year, or if it was the Catholic family with 11 kids that always seemed to be in everyone's yard at any given time - we were neighbors and that MEANT something. Today - living in another state mind you, and California to boot - I don't see ANYTHING resembling a "neighborhood" feeling like I experienced growing up in Ohio. Sure, you could argue that CA and OH are millions of miles apart culturally and in many ways I would agree - but the basic foundations of a neighborhood should be somewhat at play out here I would imagine. I live in a small but growing desert town - nice manicured lawns, newer homes, kids of all ages and families of all types - but do I know any of my neighbors? Nope. Did anyone welcome us to the neighborhood? Nope. I wave at people, have spoken to the parents of the kids my kids hang out with occassionally (but rarely at best because the communication lines are NOT open there unfortunately - they are all too busy with their lives to know what their kids are doing) and of course we have the typical busy-body neighbor that tries to be in everyone's business. When he comes up to your car on a warm summer evening to shoot the breeze you know it's a fishing trip more than anything neighborly. lol My best friends are people I work with online and people I grew up with "back home" in Ohio... and my family. We are very close and tight-knit. I'm very lucky to have all the people I have in my life - but would love for my kids to know that feeling of living in a true "neighborhood" where people say hello, actually give a rat's ass about each other and know each other on a first-name basis instead of referring to each other as "the family with the blue car" or "the ones with the shitty lawn."