Been on this train of thought for some time now as my frequent readers know. I live in the heart of New Haven CT,and I've been wondering how to shift and shape my community into a healthy organism. I've put a lot of thought into this, and really came to the conclusion that community is alive, much like an ecosystem. So if we approach it from that stand point then maybe we should be making sure the organism is healthy.
The comments I've been reading from all of my readers have provided a ton of insight and have led me to crafting some new thoughts out of them.
More below the fold.
Important concepts garnered from past posts and comments:
- My father, posters, other older folks, and some people from the rare intact small town have all mentioned that neighbors used to watch over each others children. This was not done just by the next door neighbors this was done by the entire neighborhood. In my estimation this means at least two things. First the people knew each other rather intimately, and this intimate knowledge led to caring. When a neighborhood functions like that, its more like a family than a bunch of houses near each other. Unfortunately I fear that most of us experiance the latter at this point.
- Physical connections were present, be it local farmers to markets, or people performing jobs in the community. The people had these intimate relationships for a reason. Everyone knew each other because they had to. They were dependent on each other fulfilling the roles they signed on for. This reminds me of a household where everyone has chores, and as long as everyone does them on time the house runs smoothly. Well most people don't have chores in the community anymore, and look what that has caused.
- Today we are disconnected because of our lack of "chores". We lack reason to associate with each other, because big businesses are trying to do the chores for small communities. And while they can provide the physical needs, and even that is substandard to what used to happen, they can not provide the relationships afforded by the interactions of the old way. This leads to isolation, loneliness, lower levels of safety, and fear. It leads to a fundamental lack of trust for people, and an individualistic attitude. There is no more we are in this together when the community ties are being broken. (Thank you Obama Campaign for reminding us of what we are missing, but its still not back in tact)
- I think the businesses are breaking these ties on purpose to increase profits. A group of people that work together to provide each other everything they need will not buy from outside faceless sources. I think that advertising, the creation of suburban sprawl, new cities and towns lacking town squares or zoning for small businesses is a conscious effort to break up community. I think that the attacks on funds going to cities, the centralization of food production, mass employment by super companies, and bed room communities have all assisted in divorcing us from each other. I think TV is a part of this, but I think video games are even scarier. Kids do not play in the streets like they did when I was a kid. Hell they don't even really see eachother anymore outside of school. So now even the children, who were arguably the last bastion of community don't even commune.
- The privatization of public spaces like Union Square is reducing the number of places we can associate as a group for free. I know this guy seems crazy but give him a chance its a good explanation . Taking away public space in concert with the other efforts of big business further isolates us.
6.I think that when we take our public spaces back, use the internet to convene real meetings as well as communicate over distance. When we report real community gatherings and suggest feasible and healthy community formats to each other we will be on the road to recovery.
As I often like to do here is a song I really appreciate.
And like I also like to do a little on topic poetry.
I remember when I used to play in the same streets that are cleared I sat on my porch yesterday and no children appeared The silence was strange and this situation needs to change Summers spent inside with video games is down right strange That's why our communities and people are unhealthy Sitting on our asses without the health care of the wealthy It's about damn time we demand that our children play If not they will hook up to technology all day Its scary that children are becoming diabetic This is the truth not some silly rhetoric The society is facing a scary disconnect lonely children is a problem let me be direct A game system is not a person nor does it interact So the children are losing training in how to act Even the adults have gone crazy because they lost their place Everyone wants to feel useful and like a part of the human race This feeling is deprived by mass entertainment distractions Meaningless media and coming attractions We know something is missing but we don't know what The system has gamed us and we feel it in the gut But I can tell you what's missing its community That place where people know you and you can just be
Aight guys, I'll be back tomorrow ... gonna run get in shape hang out with friends and look for jobs. I'll check on comments a lil later. Peace!