How to be friends in America with neighbors
'28.03.2021'
Source: School of Life
In essence, man is a collective being. Being a part of something is not just being yourself, but being something more than yourself. That is why we are so greedy for involvement in various associations of people for various interests.
I’m not mistaken if I say that the average US citizen has at least a dozen different types of formal or informal membership: a church parish, party membership, a jim club, a professional association, a charitable organization, a school board, public organizations, and finally neighbor community wrote Laura Lee for Schools of Life.
There are two words in English that convey the notion of a neighborhood community: community and neighborhood. And if the official commune of the residents of the microdistrict has a completely officially designated urban / village alderman who, along with economic functions, simultaneously oversees the social and cultural life of the microdistrict, the informal commune or neighborhood is formed spontaneously by an initiative from below, from the residents themselves.
“Alderman” we will not translate as the oldest. Aldermen are elective okolotochnye, but without police functions. Here is my okolotkom run by Tom Tanney, a wonderful man, who himself grew up in our neighborhood, who knows him like the back of his hand, knocked out, gnawed from all the mayors, whom he saw and experienced at his post, the best infrastructures in the city that made our Lincoln District The park is the best neighborhood of the Greater Chicago.
But no matter how good an alderman would be by himself, he would not have done anything without the participation of the local residents themselves. And the cunning one turned out to be: he was so able to enter each house of his plot, that he managed to unite the residents into a public committee, and the committee members broke up the neighborhood into plots, and organized neighboring groups at these sites.
Tanney once complained about a committee meeting: it used to be difficult, only the post office, telephone and legs tied the alderman’s office with the residents. Now via the Internet Mr. Tanney in every home every day. Somewhere the road will be repaired, somewhere the transport will take a detour, somewhere there will be volunteers to plant tree saplings — helpers are invited, a church holds a picnic on such a date — all residents of the district are invited, so-and-so we will play at the stadium wait for traffic jams. The beach opens the season, closes the season. There was a thief - do not throw bicycles on the street. A person who has served for pedophilia or rape, has been released, will live at such an address. Help at the zoo is required, donations of warm clothing are required - a gathering point there. 8 new houses appeared in our area, 10 was repaired. Such a house will be demolished - residents are invited to discuss what needs to be built on this site.
Every day, our alderman does not let us forget that we, the inhabitants, are truly members of our neighborhood and commune. But this is all, so to speak, from above, from the authorities and down.
And this is how the neighboring communities are developing from below: in America it is customary to get acquainted with new neighbors. First, it is a tribute to the already familiar goodwill and politeness. New neighbors are in a hurry to introduce themselves to those around them, and old-timers welcome newbies to home baking. Of course, it is important to know who they are, who bought the next house, who entered your town house: you also live next door to them, and your children can play with their children together. Therefore, we bake a new cake and race, 32 tooth wide open, to new neighbors: hello, we are such and such, we live there, if you need our help, here is our phone, and this is for you - improve yourself and connect to our neighborhood .
Our men invite a new peasant to a bachelor party in a local bar, women involve a new mistress in their local club to babble about something especially feminine, the children meet at some sudden (and who will) picnic in the backyard ... By the way, the children are more suffer from relocation, because there were old good friends. And on the new how else will emerge. No, we won't allow it: here are my sons. And this is my daughter. Come to our house, they will show you their hut.
The pastor of the local church will surely call or call himself, invite you to a mass, to a church event, a policeman will drop by to ask how you settled in, the postman will be sure to introduce himself - in general, everything is as usual.
And it's all about the same across the country - the neighbors really know each other, communicate and try to stick together. At the same time, in the mentality of the inhabitants the right to privacy is hammered with mother's milk - my whole life (and not just my house) is my fortress!
Tell me who cares, what a neighbor's daughter gave birth to a boy? And here is the deal! We all our commune stroked her tummy, and Mrs. Bud looked after the older ones while she was giving birth in the hospital. But now the men are dragging a huge staircase - they help the neighbor's son-in-law to fasten a welcome stretch “It's a Boy!” On the gables of their house with colored balls. And returning with a newborn baby becomes an improvised holiday for the neighbors - everyone drags something home or fast food - not neighbors in the first days will not be cooking.
But an old Mr. Quinn died: you need to help the family (usually give money), you need to order a wreath, sit at parting with the body in the funeral home, have to go one final way, and then set a queue in the commune for duty at the house of the deceased ...
Births, deaths, weddings, admission of children to college, proms, local football battles in the neighborhood’s stadium, joint St. Patrick’s Day, Oktoberfest at a local bar, and Halloween, and Christmas, when one street around competes with the other in the best decoration, and Day Independence, when we begin to shoot the whole street from all the flare guns ...
314 million people today live in the USA. When you say something short and unconvincingly it turns out - well, the figure is naked. And when, especially in small cities (and the country consists of such), you see these neighboring communes, you see how regional, city, and then state self-government is made up of communes, as everyone and everyone is interconnected and interpenetrated with just one unifying feeling - love for their country, small locale-patriotism and great comprehensive patriotism, these figures become humane.
Yes, an American really considers his country the best on the planet. He may be dissatisfied with some isolated moments (oh, how many I hear of these "bring my country back!"), But he prefers to travel only in his own country, and he has never heard of the emigration of Americans from his own country. (I read somewhere the other day: an American adores his country and hates those who do not love her, and Russian hates his country, but also hates those who share his hatred. Laughter and sin, but it is true!).
And love for the country is born here, in these small neighborhoods, in “hello” and a smile completely unfamiliar, in the first phrase of any person “can I help you?”, In greetings “welcome,” in simple and completely ordinary, everyday things : births, weddings, funerals, Saturdays, picnics, housewarming.
A long time ago I realized that I was unable to love all of humanity. Alas. At best, it makes no difference to me. But this feeling gives me the strength to love my family, my relatives, friends, my lovely neighbors, my street and my bar with such a cool barman, my alderman, my departed mayor Richard Daly, my elected senator from my state. I think it is more than the love of all mankind. No wonder it was written: Love your neighbor! What we do next door and what we all want.
