Remember Sesame Street? That was the show that introduced me to so many things — so many songs that get stuck in your head and never leave, so many characters, so many stories. That was the place where I first understood the idea of a neighborhood. We never lived in an actual neighborhood, like the kind where all the houses are close together and your BFF lives next door and your fated soulmate (whom you won’t realize is your true love until 20 years later) lives on the other side of you. We always lived in houses that were kind of on the outskirts of neighborhoods. But when I’d watch Bob on Sesame Street sing about the grocer and the doctor and the librarian and such, I began to understand that a “neighborhood” was much more than a single geographical area — it was a collection of people that you saw in your everyday life. More than that, it was a group of people you depended on to satisfy different needs and wants, and the relationship was a two-way street because you were giving them something, too.
Since the 70’s (dating myself), we’ve had many different names for this idea: community, tribe, village, squad, family, and probably many more I don’t even know. Even the language we use to describe these groups of people is unique because the groups themselves are tailored to our interests, needs, situations, etc.
As someone who’s been the “New Kid” more times than I ever wanted, I’m especially drawn to this neighborhood concept. As a kid, I always thought that if my parents would just buy a house in an actual neighborhood, I could finally fit in and belong. I assumed that if you lived on the block, you were just automatically part of the crew. Of course, now I know that’s not necessarily true and likely wouldn’t have been true for me, since I’m an introvert to the core and terrified to put myself out there to a group of people I don’t know. But I’m going to let 8-year-old me keep dreaming….
Meanwhile, I’m a grown-up now, or so I’ve been told, and I now have symbolic neighborhoods. We all do. They’re still filled with real people, and we still count on these people for various parts of ourselves. It’s just that they’re not limited by literal geography.
To illustrate, here are some of my neighborhoods: writers; avid readers; high-school teachers; people who struggle with anxiety; people who live with chronic illness; taekwondo black belts; English majors; people who love The Legend of Zelda; artists; photographers; people who deal with ADHD; people who love libraries; people who have a thing for beautiful college campuses; people who will eat breakfast any time of the day; woodworkers; and so on. I’m discovering new neighborhoods every day.
What are some of the neighborhoods you belong to? Are we in any of the same ones? Let me know in the comments!
