Point of View

Listen, I'm like most people. I don't always agree with my neighbors. But by knowing them, I am more apt to listen to their differing points of view, and perhaps modify my own as a result, or help them see another angle.

That's a growing challenge in today's increasingly mobile society because Americans are less connected to their neighbors than they were ten years ago. In fact, something like 29% of Americans don't know their next-door neighbors at all. That point was driven home to me recently at our annual neighborhood gathering. My husband and I are original owners in our 15-year-old neighborhood and we have seen many, many people come and go. And, I'll admit, once the fences went up and the babies grew older, there was far less chatting in the streets than before.

When I looked around at the party celebrants, I saw many new faces, a ton of new babies, and a resurgence in the energy of my neighborhood. I realized, right then and there, that I had to reach out a bit more in order to be able to truly say, "I know my neighbors."

In the next moment, I met someone who had hiked most of the Appalachian Trail, and I asked him if he knew the man who was about to address the crowd on a microphone in the middle of the cul-de-sac. He didn't. That man had hiked the Trail as well. Only about 600 people do this each year, and two of them live in my neighborhood, and they didn't know each other.

So, this Halloween, when the neighbors come traipsing up and down the streets and ring your doorbell, I encourage you to introduce yourself to faces you don't know. Take this opportunity to get to know your neighbors a bit better, especially those who are new to Dunwoody. By doing so, you help create a safer, closer, and more sustainable community where we are more apt to listen respectfully to each other's points of view, even if they differ from our own.

And this weekend, as the leaves turn ever more yellow and red and gorgeous, I think I'll enjoy the "point of view" from my hammock as well!