Only logged in members can reply and interact with the post.
Join SimilarWorlds for FREE »

I Believe Family Is Very Important

I grew up in the woods of Vermont. My hometown did not have any red lights, public transportation, sidewalks, and often not even pavement. There isn't any traffic near my home in Vermont, if you are driving down the road, and you encounter a car going to other way - you both slow down and at a minimum wave to each other. Often, it's actually expected that both cars (trucks, whatever) stop - and have a quick chat between open windows. The chats rarely are full of information, but it's just a general hello and the rapid sharing of local gossip.
Now I live in Denver, and things are so different it's like an entirely different planet. I get looked at strange for even just waving to a person that isn't in my social circle. I grew up waving, just to show that you were a friendly person and weren't upset or having a bad day.

I have lived in many different places over the years, some cities, and some very rural towns. I feel that I enjoy many options that cities offer, but at heart I always remain a small-town kind of guy. I LIKE being friendly to everyone, and I LIKE that a reputation is important, and easily tarnished. Where I grew up, you ALWAYS had to behave. If you went to somewhere that was actually considered public, (I'm not sure - maybe if you threw a temper tantrum at church, or at the one general store/gas station?) everyone would talk about it and remember it forever.

I noticed when I moved to a city, that people were VERY different. At least in regards to their neighbor's. I grew up, knowing all of my neighbor's and their families, and many details about their lives. I knew what they did for work, I knew how long they had been married, how many children, where they lived before, and on and on... There just was so much more COMMUNITY, even though there were so many less people.
I moved into my current apartment complex years ago (maybe 5) and nobody knew anyone. I didn't even trade names with the person that lived DIRECTLY BELOW me! If I dropped something heavy during the day, he would undoubtedly hear it - yet he did not know my name!
This bothered me, and there were people around that were also, just not the best type of person. I hate calling the police and I had never done it before living in this apartment. I broke my own rule of not calling them though, when I heard the neighbor's physically fighting. The woman was much bigger than the man, so I didn't worry about anyone's safety, really. But, they got loud and when I heard them falling down and hitting the walls, I decided to call the police. Not because of the adults - but because they had 2 girls that were less than 5 years old, and a baby boy too. I figured if I could hear them, those poor girls had to be crying their eyes out. I didn't want to go over myself because I did not want to escalate the situation.

Well, it's now years later and it seems like the vast majority of the "troublesome" tenants have moved out or away. There are many nice neighbor's now, including a few young couples. The couples have been having children and it's just really nice to see families growing. It's so positive and upbeat. I am very good friends with one set of neighbor's. They had a baby boy about a year ago - and it's just so nice to see. They had me do some work installing closet doors, and since then we have been very friendly. They actually have asked me to babysit for them! This entails just watching TV at their house, while the baby sleeps, and they just go out for a couple/few hours. I really like being relied upon for such an important task.
Right after he was born, they had an electrical outlet break in their kitchen. They asked me if I could come over and fix it for them - and I told them I could. So I went and bought a new outlet, one of those GFCI ones, and I installed it. They asked me how much they had to pay me, and I told them to keep it and put it into their baby's college fund. Their baby's name is "Sam" and I said that it was a gift for his genuine birthday - and it would be more than sufficient payment, if they just called it "Sam's Outlet" when they referred to it.

I guess they really appreciated the gesture, because every since then they have been my favorite neighbor's. They just are insanely caring and helpful to me. I was really depressed this past winter, during my father's illness - and surgeries and stuff like that. I thought I was going to have to move home to take care of him - and I was willing to do that task. I told everyone that was what my plans were, and they made certain to have me over for dinner before I left. It was really nice, having someone actually show that they cared. They also ALWAYS call me "Uncle Nate" when referring to me, to their son. I am an Uncle - of one my one neice; and it's a very important title to me.
Then, thankfully and miraculously, my father healed when the doctors said it was impossible for him to do so. He rapidly healed and it went from looking like he absolutely needed my help to survive and have a good life, to looking like I would actually be a bit of a burden, and he didn't require my assistance at all!
So, I shared my rollercoaster ride of emotions with them, and they were so helpful and supportive during that time.

There are good people in this world. They just aren't noisy - and the bad people are VERY noisy. I got confused about the world and life for awhile, disappointment and maltreatment caused me great personal pains, and I either got broken, or came remarkably close to breaking. I have been trying to rebuild, or fix myself for at least a few years now - and it's been very helpful encountering people like my neighbor's Denise, John, and Sam.
SW-User
Too big post!
But what you said is damn true..
N I would like to live in such a place rather small where everyone cares!
yfma53 · 70-79, M
Very nice! Thank you for sharing with us. Peace
sighmeupforthat · 46-50, M
eh... wow.

 
Post Comment