2004-10-09
COMMUNITY
During a recent ride Milan made note of how many houses are up for sale in the part of town where he works | This got me thinking about the difference between being in a community and just living somewhere | He further noted how some of the newest houses seem to have the highest turnover in sales | My reply was to contrast folks who just look for a borrowed bedroom for a couple of years from those who look for a community to move into |
Me, I'm generally inclined to become a part of where I live | always been that way | So I don't take kindly to someone who has no intention of staying coming in and imposing their opinion of "...how things ought to be..." and then skedaddling out of town | Kind of like the politico who showed up one day, joined the gun club, had his wife muscle in on school board meetings then announced he wanted to be state Assemblyman | We're talking less than six months now | Once he lost the election, he and wifey moved away | I could cite other examples of folks who move into town and immediately tell everybody how what they've been
pursuing as a collective vision is all wrong | Arrogance, pure and simple | These are not examples of people finding how they fit with what's already there, but pushy snots who think life revolves around themselves |
This is not to say that every place is perfect | At times constructive criticism is warranted; presented diplomatically, the fresh outside perspective can be incorporated quite nicely | When it comes down to it, it's downright unreasonable to move downwind from a dairy farm and then complain of the smell of manure | It was there for years! | What were you thinking? |
How a body holds such points of view is a bafflement to me | To move in and right away verbally trash the place or the people who've lived here all along just begs the question "Well, why did you move here, anyway?" |
Perhaps part of the problem is the rootlessness of Americans in general | For nearly 500 years people have come to this land and, when dissatisfied, up and moved away | That's the lazy way of doing things | Building community takes time | Making yourself part of a community may seem like it takes half a millennia, but it doesn't have to be and usually isn't | Some folks fit in immediately | Others always seem like outsiders | When one moves into a community, it behooves them to find out what's already going on, figure out where they might "fit" and then contribute their part | Simple as that |
During a recent ride Milan made note of how many houses are up for sale in the part of town where he works | This got me thinking about the difference between being in a community and just living somewhere | He further noted how some of the newest houses seem to have the highest turnover in sales | My reply was to contrast folks who just look for a borrowed bedroom for a couple of years from those who look for a community to move into |
Me, I'm generally inclined to become a part of where I live | always been that way | So I don't take kindly to someone who has no intention of staying coming in and imposing their opinion of "...how things ought to be..." and then skedaddling out of town | Kind of like the politico who showed up one day, joined the gun club, had his wife muscle in on school board meetings then announced he wanted to be state Assemblyman | We're talking less than six months now | Once he lost the election, he and wifey moved away | I could cite other examples of folks who move into town and immediately tell everybody how what they've been
pursuing as a collective vision is all wrong | Arrogance, pure and simple | These are not examples of people finding how they fit with what's already there, but pushy snots who think life revolves around themselves |
This is not to say that every place is perfect | At times constructive criticism is warranted; presented diplomatically, the fresh outside perspective can be incorporated quite nicely | When it comes down to it, it's downright unreasonable to move downwind from a dairy farm and then complain of the smell of manure | It was there for years! | What were you thinking? |
How a body holds such points of view is a bafflement to me | To move in and right away verbally trash the place or the people who've lived here all along just begs the question "Well, why did you move here, anyway?" |
Perhaps part of the problem is the rootlessness of Americans in general | For nearly 500 years people have come to this land and, when dissatisfied, up and moved away | That's the lazy way of doing things | Building community takes time | Making yourself part of a community may seem like it takes half a millennia, but it doesn't have to be and usually isn't | Some folks fit in immediately | Others always seem like outsiders | When one moves into a community, it behooves them to find out what's already going on, figure out where they might "fit" and then contribute their part | Simple as that |
Thanks also to Victoria for her reminiscence You know you're from a small town when... which prompted me to write this entry |
¶ 23:59
