Just a thought. More of a dream than anything else but a thought nonetheless. I was thinking about the general lack of respect people have for one another. I was thinking about the amount of crime taking place. I was thinking about the general lack of understanding we have with one another. I was thinking, what could be done about this ? Then this thought.
What if we had a sort of community meet and greet ? I mentioned that yesterday in my blog and have been thinking on it ever since.
My town,Greensboro,has a population of just under 2000. I was on ships in the Navy that had as many. Came to know most of them folks. Not on a personal level with each person, but familiar. I've lived here for over twenty years and barely know who lives next door. My fault.
But I was thinking about how many events the town, or civic organizations, hold every year. Most are to raise funds for some cause or benefit.
What if we staged a meeting for all the residents of the town. Let's call it the spring rendezvous. Bring a picnic lunch with you. Bring your guitar if you like. Sing,dance or recite poetry. All entertainment is free and voluntary. No selling of anything allowed. The sole purpose of this event is to foster community. To meet your neighbors,to meet the community. To foster that civic pride. I live in Greensboro ! I am a member of your community. My children play with your children. Your concerns with this town are my concerns. Together we can make it better. I am not, that guy,who's that or who does he think he is, I am Ben and live on Sunset Avenue.
The Police would be there. Preferably not dressed in their combat gear to just say Hello, I'm Officer Whatever and I'm here to serve you. You can talk to me anytime, not just when there is trouble. I am here to help. All the Clergy would be present. Just saying Hello. No preaching or sermonizing,please. Maybe some handouts with the church service times on it. Our businessmen and women could be there. Hello, I own the drug store and I am a pharmacist. My pleasure to serve you.
You get the idea here don't you ?
I do believe that if this were to happen a lot of good would follow. Crime would decrease. It's a lot harder to hurt people you know. A lot riskier when they know you. It is a lot tougher to show disrespect to someone you know too. Try disrespecting your family and friends and see the result. A lot different than being a wise guy to some stranger isn't it ? By fostering this sense of community a lot could be accomplished.
Call me a dreamer and an idealist. I know that this would never happen. There is no interest in this idea. Still it is a nice thought isn't it ? What do you think ? I get a little hyped up on ideas sometimes and I think this is a good one. Putting a name to a face is powerful stuff. It is a lot easier to just ignore nameless faces and have little or no compassion for them. Stop,talk to that person for just a few moments and it changes. Now,I know them.
Well,it was just a thought. Simple idea. Say hello to your neighbor, you might be surprised to find they ain't all bad. Just sayin'.
What if we had a sort of community meet and greet ? I mentioned that yesterday in my blog and have been thinking on it ever since.
My town,Greensboro,has a population of just under 2000. I was on ships in the Navy that had as many. Came to know most of them folks. Not on a personal level with each person, but familiar. I've lived here for over twenty years and barely know who lives next door. My fault.
But I was thinking about how many events the town, or civic organizations, hold every year. Most are to raise funds for some cause or benefit.
What if we staged a meeting for all the residents of the town. Let's call it the spring rendezvous. Bring a picnic lunch with you. Bring your guitar if you like. Sing,dance or recite poetry. All entertainment is free and voluntary. No selling of anything allowed. The sole purpose of this event is to foster community. To meet your neighbors,to meet the community. To foster that civic pride. I live in Greensboro ! I am a member of your community. My children play with your children. Your concerns with this town are my concerns. Together we can make it better. I am not, that guy,who's that or who does he think he is, I am Ben and live on Sunset Avenue.
The Police would be there. Preferably not dressed in their combat gear to just say Hello, I'm Officer Whatever and I'm here to serve you. You can talk to me anytime, not just when there is trouble. I am here to help. All the Clergy would be present. Just saying Hello. No preaching or sermonizing,please. Maybe some handouts with the church service times on it. Our businessmen and women could be there. Hello, I own the drug store and I am a pharmacist. My pleasure to serve you.
You get the idea here don't you ?
I do believe that if this were to happen a lot of good would follow. Crime would decrease. It's a lot harder to hurt people you know. A lot riskier when they know you. It is a lot tougher to show disrespect to someone you know too. Try disrespecting your family and friends and see the result. A lot different than being a wise guy to some stranger isn't it ? By fostering this sense of community a lot could be accomplished.
Call me a dreamer and an idealist. I know that this would never happen. There is no interest in this idea. Still it is a nice thought isn't it ? What do you think ? I get a little hyped up on ideas sometimes and I think this is a good one. Putting a name to a face is powerful stuff. It is a lot easier to just ignore nameless faces and have little or no compassion for them. Stop,talk to that person for just a few moments and it changes. Now,I know them.
Well,it was just a thought. Simple idea. Say hello to your neighbor, you might be surprised to find they ain't all bad. Just sayin'.
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