Getting back to the basics of holistic community living ... as we continue to strive to find common ground (join hands) and where we can peacefully break bread together with one another in thanksgiving to Almighty God!
Pic: Public Domain
“Come Together,” that song by John Lennon with The Beatles, includes the following lyrics that bespeak of our overriding need for socialization and togetherness:
“Come together, right now, over me!”
With many folks being isolated so much per the COVID-19 factors, and even before that by all kinds of electronic entertainment influences - especially social media, it seems like we all need to get back to the basics of holistic community living.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I can certainly attest to this both professionally in practice with elderly clients and personally in my everyday life.
In our own neighborhood, I used to be an Officer for the Subdivision.
It was a responsibility I took seriously, and I would do all kinds of things with the other Officers to bring people together.
Whether it was for trying to set up a “Neighborhood Watch” for safety, getting input from neighbors as to their needs or just planning for a social gathering like Halloween for the kiddies, it usually took someone in leadership to get the ball rolling.
My own experiences in these endeavors have been mixed, as many times we struggled to get even a minimal response from neighbors to participate in planned activities.
Usually, a crisis situation would prompt a temporary resurgence of demonstrated involvement by neighbors, such as after we had a spell of crime in the neighborhood.
But we did have some neat family gatherings in the past, including when we first moved into the neighborhood per a outdoor grilling that was held on the median in the front of our subdivision.
Right before relinquishing my role as a Vice President for the Subdivision, to allow others to fill that role, I helped the neighborhood start a Facebook link that was really neat for better real-time communications needs and still is in place.
One neat neighborhood gathering activity that we had participated in another neighborhood before moving here was called a “Progressive Dinner,” which is generally defined as:
- a social occasion at which the different courses of a meal are eaten at different people's houses.
It was so fun then to go with my wife from one house to another with others for salads, appetizers, entrees and desserts after general intros were done, as well as with name tags provided and pictures galore taken; how can I forget the neighbor who had the job of wheeling the keg!
Unfortunately, after a few valiant tries in my current locale, I was unable to get one of those Progressive Dinners going, and with all the polarity seen in the present day cancel culture milieu of society, the name would probably have to be changed to the following to get participation from other Conservatives like me (lol!):
A Roving Neighborhood Pot Luck Party!
Prayers for all, as we continue to strive to find common ground where we can peacefully break bread together with one another in thanksgiving to Almighty God!
Keith John Paul Horcasitas, LCSW, MHA, Prayer Care, LLC, 1133 Knollhaven Dr., BRLA 70810, khorcasitas(at)yahoo.com, December 1, 2021. Click here to post or read comments.
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