Can’t say that I know all my neighbors well after nearly 17 years, yet in a strange way I do. Conversation ebbs and flows in short spurts as we all rush about our busy lives. And it seems that most communication is related to some sort of crisis that affects us all, like a hurricane or blizzard, or maybe just one person or family, making communication quite specific, direct, and downright honest. Through the years we have seen each other at our best and our worst. (Kids dressed up for prom pictures… High school and college celebrations… Baby showers… Holiday parties… Heading out to get the paper in scruffy bathrobe and slippers… Or accepting a pot of soup at the back door when you are sick with the flu…) Guess you could say that over time we grow to understand the “real deal” of each family’s life. And along with that understanding there comes a fairly high level of tolerance, patience, and willingness to assist as needed, no questions asked. There is a quiet sense that we are all in this together…
So as the years pass and we cross paths with our neighbors both in the hood and around the community, a sense of history and connection takes root. Time does that for us… Add to that the storms we have weathered together, lending a hand, showing compassion, offering respite in some way, and you feel a strong and unique bond to these folks you don’t know well, yet somehow know them in a very down-to-earth and real way.
This week, for example, there was much excitement in our community in anticipation of a big snowstorm, rare in eastern North Carolina. I started off one morning at my usual yoga class and saw a neighbor up the street who also attends the class from time to time. We talked after class about what we needed to do to prepare as we headed home. It was good to see my neighbor and know that she and her husband were planning to be home for the “big” event. I reminded them that my next door neighbor has a generator (which he reminded me of only the day before). We count on him when the power is out for too long.
Later that day at the grocery store (in 70 degree weather) I saw many friends and neighbors stocking up on bread and milk and staples to last for the duration of the predicted storm. Everyone was in a rush, conversations were short and sweet, but I left with a sense of connection to people that I knew would be around me during this unpredictable time. It was comforting to have roots in a community that offers support and adds value and meaning to my life.
The storm came, leaving not as much snow as feared, and no power outages that I am aware of. So, the celebration this afternoon was playing outside in the snow and ice like a bunch of little kids! I resurrected my daughters’ childhood sled for the young girl across the street to enjoy. Some young men took out a four-wheeler and pulled kids on sleds and surfboards behind them along the roads which were packed with a thick blanket of snow and one inch layer of ice underneath. It is the eastern North Carolina version of sledding as we have no hills at all!
So, as a neighborhood we took advantage of a snow day that turned out well as an opportunity to play and celebrate life. There have been other storms that have caused much hardship, so when the good ones roll through we definitely appreciate them. This was a good day…
