For about the last year, Aaron, Noam and I have been making an intentional effort to get to know our neighbors within our little town home complex. Last month, we gathered for a potluck just before Labor Day, and yesterday, we initiated our second official neighbor-gathering, "Pizza and Planting".
Of the 12 that showed up to the potluck, 10 came yesterday to begin transforming the abandoned fountains on our complex grounds. Up until yesterday, these same fountains were little more than mosquito breeding grounds, but, instead of stagnant water, now they're filled with compost and germinating (at least we hope) seeds.
After we'd gotten elbow-deep in compost, planted our seeds and followed up with a good garden hose spraying, we chowed down on some Brooklyn Pizza (oh, the garlic knots!) and talked for a good hour and a half--at least until the mosquitoes started making a meal out of us. While we all batted away las moscas, cleaned up and turned in for the night, I chatted with Katie, asking her how she felt the night went.
We were both positive, and most positive of all is the fact that the same people are showing up. We have a core group of people who seem genuinely interested in making this townhouse complex a better place. And that core group of people is getting to know one another more, every time we gather together. People are really sharing their lives, and their struggles, and their time.
We're neighbors who are beginning to act...neighborly.
And while we admitted that we are not a large group, we still represent over half of the residents in Hidden Glenn. And though everyone may not come out of their homes to join us when we gather, as the residents here begin to see changes, our hope is that, a little at a time, what we are doing and the people with whom we are doing it will gain credibility and trust in the eyes of the little community here that we are trying to steward.
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