Where have all the people gone?
I started observing this the last couple of years, and this year is starting out in a very similar fashion. That is, how come when I go outside, the neighborhood seems deserted? Garage doors closed, no kids running around, silence. I am a little unnerved by the whole thing. Where is everyone? I know my neighbors have kids, so why aren’t they outside? What is everyone doing? I have a few ideas, but it isn’t any more settling.
When I grew up, we hung around with all the kids that were in a couple block radius of the house. The neighborhood was an extension of the family. It was our extended family. Everyone looked out for each other and we knew all the parents.
Now, I don’t even know the kids next door. They are my kids’ age, but no connection. I rarely even see them. It is not often that kids in the neighborhood even hang around with each other.
One of the reasons for this, I think, is because we as parents plan every aspect of our kids’ lives. Being home is down time. Everything they do is “organized”, especially sports. Go look at the local baseball diamonds or hockey rinks. Do you ever see any kids there just playing a pick-up game? Rarely, if ever . . .
As a result, families are busier than ever – away from home. I think kids need to be able to explore, play, grow, and form friendships and bonds that are a product of their childhood. Neighbors need to interact with each other and not act as collection of strangers living in close proximity with each other.
We have lived in our house for close to 7 years and I still don’t even know my next door neighbor. It is a sad ommision. I just hope we can return to the days where we once again connect with each other in ways that were once commonplace. Where our kids can know the joys of just being a kid, doing those things that kids do without the constant organized & scheduled oversight of the ever vigilent parent.
Unity
Definition: the state of being one, or united
Tell me, what can you accomplish on your own without help from others? Did it give you a sense of purpose? Was it easy? It seems to me that a lot of the struggles in life are because we are out of sync with those around us. I don’t mean the world as a whole, but those we love and work with. We exert a lot of effort by trying to swim upstream.
Lately my wife has been spending a lot of time ushering the kids to various activities. We live about a half hour drive from anywhere, so it is a hour round trip to drop them off and a hour round trip to pick them up. While these activities are good, it means less time for us to spend with each other. It is then easier for me to gripe about the time spent away, not enter in to what is the flow of the household at this time and complain. Or, maybe I could stop trying to go against the flow and figure a way to create a win-win solution. Why Don’t I go with? That is a novel concept! We can spend time with each other, she does not get burnt out and unity is restored into the house.
I know it may sound simple, but unity is a multiplier of all good things. More accomplished, more satisfaction and less effort. I love this effect! So, may you become more unified with those around you today!