Strangers as Neighbors
Via Kottke comes this wonderful post about a couple’s move from living in the suburbs to the city:
Our everyday lives have changed in every way imaginable. We don’t own a car, so we walk everywhere, including to and from work. We use the bus or ferry if we want to go farther afield. This has had a profound effect on how we interact with people. We realize now that the cocoons of our cars kept us well insulated from the people around us. Our genuine interactions were with family and coworkers, the only people who saw us stripped of the metal that clothed and protected us. Our neighbors, we discovered, were virtually strangers.
Sigh. How great is that? My parents have always been great about getting to know the neighbors, despite living in the suburbs (or on a mountain) and raising three kids, so I’m inclined to think it’s not all about where you live. We could (should!) take some initiative and get to know some of our neighbors (as we’re now thinking about selling the house, of course).
I think a lot of it does have to do with the city living: walking, eating out. You cross paths with people again and again, relationships start to form. When you live in a house somehow it seems like so much more of an ordeal to make a visit happen. In the old days you’d call your friend and say, “Want to ride bikes?” Or, “Want to come over?” and they’d come right over (on their bike, of course) and play for a while. I miss that aspect of friendship, just casually hanging out with someone.
This vision of living in a community where you can actually walk to things, or there are at least places you can drive to and walk around, is part of why Decatur is so appealing. I’d also love the idea of living in a smaller home. The trick is where to put the pinball machines…