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I came home one day just in time to catch my neighbor planting flowers in my front garden. I had admired several of his plants, and asked him if they would do well in shade and among tenacious tree roots. Little did I know he'd be so obliging!
The neighborly exchange of plants, recipes and tools is as old as human history, but to many modern city dwellers seems as remote as the horse and buggy. Even in areas where neighbors do have reciprocal relationships, they are often limited. In his book, "Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future," Bill McKibben notes "studies have shown that as urban neighborhoods became more heavily used by cars instead of pedestrians, the average person saw the number of friends and acquaintances she had in her neighborhood drop from nine to four."
This truly is a loss. McKibben identifies the problem as a kind of "hyper-individualism," resulting largely from the same industrialized lifestyles that have contributed so strongly to climate change. Loss of community also takes a personal toll. "The body reacts to community in measurable ways. Staggering ways," McKibben notes. "According to Robert Putnam, if you do not belong to any group at present, joining a club or society of some kind halves the risk that you will die in the next year." Pretty impressive numbers, eh?
We chose our neighborhood because of its reputation for being an old-fashioned neighborhood, where kids run in and out of each other's houses. Since we've been here, we've been to ice cream socials, a children's talent show, and all kinds of seasonal celebrations. One family hosts an annual August "Kid Wash," where children in swimsuits soap up, and enjoy being sprayed by adults with garden hoses. To stave off cabin-fever this winter, another family organized a bowling party. It was heart-warming to watch dozens of neighbors, ages 3 to 83, knocking down pins in lane after lane of the Playdium.
On a more serious note, last year 10 of us met for nine months to discuss sustainability issues, using a course packet from the Northwest Earth Institute. (For more information on the institute, click here.) As a result, we started a neighborhood vegetable garden. A book club formed this year, as well as a "band" of about eight, who gather to play guitar, ukulele, hammered dulcimer, fiddle and flute.
"Safety in Numbers" is one of the band names we've considered. Suggested as a joke to help quell our nerves at our first public gig - a neighborhood festival celebrating local merchants -- it nevertheless speaks to my point about community.
We're living in interesting times. The prospect of peak oil, and the reality of global warming, are challenges better faced in solidarity than alone. To have the "durable future" that McKibben writes about, we're going to need to build it from the ground up, working with the folks next door.
Granted, certain features of my neighborhood facilitate community. Houses are close together -- we can't avoid frequent encounters. One resident says it's "like dorm-life for grown-ups." And, most of the homes on our street were built to the same circa-1925 blueprint. As another homeowner remarked, "these houses are the 'working man's dream:' no one has anything better than anyone else." You feel at home nearly everywhere you go, with intriguing exceptions in decor and renovations. In fact, we recently held a block tour of six look-alike houses, to see what people had done with their attics, kitchens, additions, etc.
Obviously, community building works in other contexts: places of worship, schools, clubs. But I think we do best when we know each other in various capacities and have multidimensional relationships. This is what attracts me to the eco-village and intentional communities movements, and to cooperatives, like Albany's Honest Weight Food Co-op.
During three hours in the store recently, I had a set of experiences that parallel those in my neighborhood. While staffing an informational table on Fair Trade, I touched base with someone who's starting a writing group, discussed exchanging healing services with a body work practitioner, and hooked up a tense coworker with a source for stress reduction classes. Though crowded and bustling, the store still facilitates mutually beneficial connections. In the community room, for example, you might find a parenting group, a knitter's circle, or a senior fitness class. It's not unlike Bill McKibben's descriptions of farmers' markets, where people "have 10 times as many conversations ... as they do at supermarkets."
Chinese medicine places a premium on these interpersonal networks, calling them "personal circulation vessels," to indicate how essential they are. People who have not developed them are sometimes referred to as "dead doors that lead to nowhere" (Yanhua Zang, "Transforming Emotions with Chinese Medicine"). A disturbing, but apt, metaphor.
It takes extra effort to be a "living door," but we need these now, more than ever. Such connections ground us in our communities, refresh our relationships, and open up new possibilities for friendship, collaboration and support. For your health and that of the planet, I encourage you to find your opening!
Ruth Ann Smalley, Ph.D., is an educator and a certified Eden Energy medicine practitioner with a practice in Albany. She's also an Honest Weight member worker, and writes a monthly column for the coop's newsletter.
© The Daily Gazette Co. 2008
21 Comments so far
Show AllHopefully, Windsor, CO, will follow in the footsteps of Greensburg, KS, and rebuild their shattered community green.
Great article and inspiration to me to do more than I already have. It takes time, and staying in one place, and courage. And a walkable city helps. My next door neighbor and I started two years ago just exchanging pleasantries, then I began asking his advice on carpentry projects, and recently I risked asking to borrow his push lawnmower. He said sure, and suddenly I don't have to worry about how to mow our tiny patch of lawn. But lots of the houses on the street have come-and-go tenants, students, etc. So you do what you can, when you can.
Very nice and diverse conversation going on here. Love the ideas and different perspectives.
Especially the neighborhood Bar-B-Que. Think I'll organize one here this summer. Pot luck sort of thing maybe?
I have to say that I used to be like ACC in some ways. Until I became a small time farmer, was a vendor at the farmers markets, started working for our local co-op, and really became connected to my community as a living organism. It was kind of like realizing that marriage is a separate living organizm that needs to stay healthy for the individuals involved to fully benefit from their union. I need for my community as a whole to stay healthy because I benefit when it thrives. In hard times and the good times.
I became accutely aware of the need for relocalization and community when I became informed of impacts of the looming disasters of climate change/peak oil/economic meltdown. I am no longer a deer caught in the headlights of complacency or denial. I know that this pending trainwreck is not one I can survive on my own. Sure, I can produce my own food and can probably convert my well to solar power for water. But what about all the other stuff? Like flour or rice or toilet paper? Clothe for clothes? Candles? Soap? And there really is something to be said for safety in numbers.
And besides, valueing community in its own right has made me a lot more neighborly. I found that I actually enjoy being a contributing member of that community. It just plain feels good. Sure, I have some neighbors that I like more than others. Some are downright self centered, repugs, and some even voted for Bush. But they are all working parts of this living breathing community. Besides, diversity truely is the spice of life. I just don't talk politics or religion, like my mother always told me.
I wouldn't mind living next door to ACC.
Dogface-You got that right about a street party. It's through these social activities that we have the opportunity to raise our neighbor's level of awareness.
I believe Ram Dass said something like, People will do the best the can in accordance to their own level of awareness.
It's up to those of us, who are aware, to help raise other's and to be open to having our own levels, raised.
I agree with some of ACC's comments. However, if the "whole" is not supported or sustained we will be picked off one by one. I am not fond of some of my neighbors either. However, I do care about my neighborhood. I am sure the folks around me are not as well verse on the workings of the "dark side" of the reality in these here United States as those of you on this page.
Moreover, I am sure that they are in for a big shock when they find their food supplies are hard to come by and that they will be totally unprepared. Before this happens, it is then our responsibility to gently inform and educate them. We need to connect the dots for them so that they understand that it is not the immigrants or other people ten thousand miles away that are a threat to them. If we do not bring things to light, we will ALL be left in the dark. I am all for roping off the streets and having one damn fine "street-party and barbeque. No one will have to drive home. Party!
As for gas prices, I had not been out of the house for about a week. When I did venture out, I had more than sticker shock at the pump. As my brain registered the price on the pump, I was unable to move for a few minutes. I thought it was a joke. (Duh! I wondered why there were no cars in one of the busiest gas stations in town. Duh again! ) In my hometown, I paid $4.16 for a gallon of gas.
I have heard that in Britain, they pay over $9.00 a gallon for petrol. So do we keep fighting someone else's war or do we find other ways to sustain our lives and bring justice to our world?
We and only we hold the answer and the solutions to this dilemma.
ACC-at least you know yourselves, most people don't and have kids just b/c they think they "ought" to.
We, too, have neighbors we don't like (for instance, the child pornagraphy convict two doors down)or the neighbor with the dog that barks all freakin day b/c her owner is neglectful. Most of our neighbors have toddlers, we have school age kids, so we're at different places, but I sure do appreciate sharing a cold brew every so often, I'm a social being, and it's in these times, that we make the connections that are already changing our little cul de sac (terrible bit of civil engineering, btw). It's good to know that if I ever am in need, that a neighbor will be there to help out.
Americans are some of the worst offenders as far as being hyper-individualists. While the degree to which we interact with others is subjective, the fact is that humans, like most other mammals, are group-oriented animals.
It used to be (and still is in remote regions) that if it weren't for our tribes, we could not survive. We have created artificial organizations (police, supermarkets, online work and dating) to help us with survival because we can no longer count on the social structures we once had.
While I don't necessarily like all my neighbors, I know that I need to relate to them at some level. There are instances where things fail, and if we don't already, we will at some point need to rely on each other.
In short, rugged individualists are only so because they are extremely lucky. There may come a time when their individualism comes back to bite them in the ass...like chickens coming home to roost.
"Sustainable communities" is part of localism, so with localism you get all the community benefits plus you get political/economic independence from far-flung power centers and thereby protection from encroachment/enslavement by the predatory elites. At one time American communities were relatively secure from this but not today. Ironically, many world cultures were relatively secure from this due to cutural barriers but less and less now. So beyond localism we're talking about solidarity with our peers, both near and far, the only condition being equal terms politically/socially. Or in other words, suppression of classism, as part of our civic duty.
I always enjoy going to farmers markets meeting all the vendors even in big cities you get info when you ask about where and when certain produce come from.
I will agree in small communities there is more of that neighborly feelings where everyone knows there neighbor.
Car culture has real destroyed most of the country and the rest of the world is following.
Co-Housing is a movement that embraces these principles of neighborliness, just in case you're not settled into a neighborhood yet and want to be sure you're starting with a group that's as into neighborliness as you are. Check out all the possibilities at http://www.ic.org
We are what you might call lonely by design. We are very independent, undertaking energy projects ourselves, growing food ourselves, a happy worm composting farm, fruit trees, etc. I am a writer, my husband telecommutes, we have one very small car that we use rarely. Our work is demanding and time consuming and we not only don't have children we don't particularly like them. The model of an interactive neighborhood doesn't appeal to us. We have friends who do not live nearby but we stay in close touch. Living next door to someone does not make that person someone we necessarily want to know. And before you jump on us for snobbery, consider that selective is also an adjective. We don't want to drink beer with the neighbors, talk about their kids or pet their dogs. We both need and love our privacy. Creating -- which is what we both do -- demands a lot of privacy and time to think. It isn't some crime against the Green Universe if we choose to keep to ourselves as we tread as lightly and gently upon the earth as we possibly can. We are highly individualistic and believe that is a good thing, not a bad one.
Yup. I like it.
American cities are part of the problem. As is our ridiculous committment to privacy. Get out of your cars, plant a garden, know your neighbors, move to the country, become more conservative... do something!
Break out of the urban individualistic bubble.
My community of Mount Tabor, New Jersey has always been a sustainable community since being founded in 1869. We have well-built houses all of varied designs many of them over a hundred years old. We have been the "Transit Village" of tomorrow for 150 years with narrow streets, small yards, large public spaces and parks and our own library, Post Office, elementary school, Auditorium and since our founding a train
station within easy walking distance. Yet in the very time when train ridership is soaring due to gas prices NJ Transit is trying to kill our train stop and also cut 21 trains servicing
Morris County and Gladstone branches. (see:
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/morris/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1210826126221210.xml&coll=1
)
New Jersey Transit is moving in precisely the WRONG direction by cutting off my sustainable community but also cutting 17% percent of the trains for Morris County.
If you would like to help make a small change for the planet's survival go to the New Jersey Transit Website and register a compaint about this:
https://www.njtransit.com/ContactUs/cu_form.jsp
As a single mother I was able to barter for a great many things by either tutoring youngsters or writing articles. I traded for used furniture, some clothing items, help with things I couldn't do, etc. BARTER will become a great tool once again, particularly if this end of oil thing is approaching as fast as many think.
If your definition of sustainability includes renewable energy and you haven't drank the kool aid (the more nuclear power is the only way to save the world kool-aid) you need to phone or e-mail your two senators NOW and tell them to vote AGAINST the Lieberman-Warner Bill (S. 2191) that will be voted upon next week. If you don't know your senators' phone numbers, the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) can provide that information.
Under the guise of fighting global warming, the bill will provide a half a trillion dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies for new nuclear power plant construction and operation, effectively stopping investment in renewable power production.
If your definition of sustainability includes renewable energy and you haven't drank the kool aid (the more nuclear power is the only way to save the world kool-aid) you need to phone or e-mail your two senators NOW and tell them to vote AGAINST the Lieberman-Warner Bill (S. 2191) that will be voted upon next week. If you don't know your senators' phone numbers, the Capitol switchboard (202-224-3121) can provide that information.
Under the guise of fighting global warming, the bill will provide a half a trillion dollars in taxpayer-funded subsidies for new nuclear power plant construction and operation, effectively stopping investment in renewable power production.
My building had a barbecue last summer where we all met and had a laugh and created a whole new vibe for the place. It's just about breaking the ice. Don't wait for the earthquake to meet your neighbours!
I've done several of the NWEI's discussion courses. They are fantastic.
I'm really feelin this! Think I might send it to a few friends and even print it out for people on my block... Thanks!
Four years in our home and it's been an uphill battle to connect with our neighbors. All our houses were built in the 80s and we're on a cul-de-sac. However, one neighbor and I have a decent barter system going and another neighbor and us trade garden tools and beer on a regular basis. I think the key is to be "around" and say hello to your neighbors and not sit inside the moment we get home. Community is undervalued.