{"id":2372,"date":"2021-08-01T04:03:46","date_gmt":"2021-08-01T04:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/?p=2372"},"modified":"2021-08-01T04:03:46","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T04:03:46","slug":"the-new-neighborly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmachronicles.com\/index.php\/the-new-neighborly\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Neighborly"},"content":{"rendered":"

There were many reasons, some of them deeply understood by those who honored the restrictions of the COVID era but squirmed with restless desire for change.\u00a0 Whatever those reasons were, the day arrived some months back when the face looking back at me in the mirror piped up and said:\u00a0 It\u2019s time to move on.<\/p>\n

But move on to where?\u00a0 Adding comedy to the tragedy and uncertainty of the times, the memorable line from Monty Python floated up:\u00a0 And now for Something Completely Different.<\/p>\n

So, to Something Completely Different I went.\u00a0 Determined not to forfeit the opportunity to share easily in the lives of my nearby daughter and grandchildren, I defined a certain geographic radius as the map of my best options.\u00a0 Ultimately, I chose to leapfrog across the metro region to a new county, with a new city address on the mail, even a new dwelling, built just for me, in a new neighborhood, in an unfinished section where the surrounding canvas is still being painted.\u00a0 None of those descriptors would have drawn me in the past, so I was as surprised as anyone.<\/p>\n

After I had spent a quarter-century with a rewarding life built in a very small geographic area, the choice of Something Complete Different inspired some kind but surprised inquiries in my cherished circle of friends.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re going\u2026where?\u201d\u00a0 one asked, incredulous.\u00a0 It\u2019s not the other side of the planet, I replied.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019ll like being that far away,\u201d said another. (I asked for her opinion, and she gave it, so that was fair enough.). A third wondered if my politics would fit comfortably in my proposed new surroundings, historically known for a majority with leanings she knew were different than my own.\u00a0 \u201cPeople are moving there from all over the place,\u201d I answered, perhaps trying to convince myself.\u00a0 \u201cSurely they can\u2019t all think the same thing.\u201d\u00a0 On the lighter side, my daughter, with a keen sensitivity to my retail habits, asked, \u201cMom, are you sure you want to be that far from Trader Joe\u2019s?\u201d\u00a0 (That one caught me for a second, I admit.)<\/p>\n

\"\"Still, onward to new environs I went.\u00a0 And as I strolled with the dog in my early weeks here, up and down the rolling hills of the new neighborhood in the early mornings or late evening breezes of the hot Tennessee summer, the quiet streets and unfamiliar sights were more than a bit surreal.\u00a0 Where is everyone, I wondered?\u00a0 Do the neighbors know each other?\u00a0 Does anyone come out of these houses?<\/p>\n

Gradually, small connections emerged.\u00a0 Leaving the pool one day, I stopped to admire a newborn, introducing myself to the young mother as new to the neighborhood.\u00a0 \u201cWelcome!\u201d\u00a0 she answered warmly.\u00a0 \u201cYou should come to the Fourth of July event and meet more neighbors.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great party.\u201d\u00a0 A couple of weeks later I waved at a young woman unloading boxes at the newest completed home across the street.\u00a0 She approached and told me about her mother, the property owner, who was working at the time. \u201cThey have margaritas at the pool most Tuesdays,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cIf you\u2019re looking for a group, my mom\u2019s definitely got a group.\u201d<\/p>\n

As these encounters continued, I began to breathe a little more easily into Something Completely Different.\u00a0 My next-door neighbor, who grew up in the county, is the ultimate referral source on essentials, from shoe repair to carpentry to fresh vegetables, cheerfully pointing me here or there.\u00a0 On my own, I found my way to the post office, the Goodwill drop-off, Lowe\u2019s, and the closest coffee shop.\u00a0 Even my dog began to relax, finally realizing he didn\u2019t have to trot after me everywhere I went around the house, unpacking.\u00a0 From his post six inches above ground level, he shouts dark threats at the deer who emerge in late evening from the woods on the lovely peak of the hill up the street, but otherwise continues to charm the human neighbors he encounters on our twice-daily strolls.<\/p>\n

Encouraged by these encounters, I was still surprised to discover an active channel of neighborly communication flowing amicably and often where I never expected to see it:\u00a0 on Facebook.<\/p>\n

The neighborhood\u2019s group page is a remarkable broadcast of daily life and proof positive that people who live in close proximity have not lost the desire to enjoy and care for each other.\u00a0 Who knew?\u00a0 Many of us have recoiled from social media and its vituperative culture in the last couple of years, sickened by misinformation or mean-spirited trolls.\u00a0 I watch, fascinated, a regular patter of questions and answers that recently has included things like this:<\/p>\n