Maybe an ideal community might be one that makes an attempt at ensuring that no one person in a neighbourhood deals with their own particular horrors alone and unsupported. And I am happy to report that in my neighbourhood there is a family who have lent me their shovel twice in the last while. Might have something to do with my memories of being sent, as a child, over to the neighbour's to borrow a cup of sugar or a piece of kitchen equipment or something simple for my mom. All kids and parents knew which homes were safe for kids to venture into alone in those days. I like the idea of hanging over the fence and chatting about the weather or the weeds or something.
Small talk can be very comforting and soothing. . . .
Small talk with each other validates that we exist, don't live on a deserted island and are all relatively similar. After all, we all sleep, eat, go to the bathroom . And if it's raining, it's raining on all of us at the same time. Reporters Read about our reporters and the neighbourhoods they are focusing on. The Family Matters series appears Fridays until September, 2000.