It's time to get back to basics

It's time to get back to basics

By Joe Renna

It's ironic how the same technology that has made the world small has also caused communities to disseminate. The necessity to cluster in urban centers is less crucial to survival. Value systems were once rooted in physical, spiritual and emotional interaction. To achieve the same level of community life has now become a challenge.

At one time, the family was at the base of the community, but that is no longer true in fact, even the meaning of the word "family" has changed. Today the word "family" refers to parents and their children. Anyone outside that core group is strictly an arms-length relationship. Up to the 1960's, families were extended past the range of second cousins, once removed. What was more remarkable than the family's social bonds was their geographical relationship. Generations were born and raised within city blocks of each other. In most cases, the units of a multiple dwelling were all occupied by the same family.

The next tier of the community consisted of relationships between neighbors. Friendships were so tight that they would blend together with family ties. The trust and love between neighbors was just as strong as family. Marriage between different families within the community strengthened ties even deeper. This was the way it was for many neighborhoods, especially the immigrant communities that huddled together out of necessity, before they assimilated or were even given the opportunity to assimilate. Life centered around the family, the church and work. These aspects of living were so paramount that everything else played second fiddle. Entertainment, recreation, and of course, socializing, revolved around those three mainstays.

Between the Industrial Revolution and WWII, society was turned on its ear. When the baby boomers hit the scene, all heck broke loose. America had another revolution. This time it was social. New freedoms of expression and mobility upset the status quo. There were new ways of living. It was a time to tune out, turn off and drop out. The effect on the communities was shattering, like dropping a bowl of M&Ms on the floor. The core of the communities scattered. In the new order of things, the role that family played was diminished. Today the "me" generation looks out for number one. There is no time left to think of others. Life is defined by personal satisfaction.

Peterstown stuck to the traditions that brought it along into the new millennium. Many families have stayed within the geographic boundaries of the neighborhood. Those who didn't are faced with a task of preserving the value structure that was inherent with living there. That would mean leaving the cul-de-sac and making an effort to reach out to the community at large. Getting back to sharing and experiencing life together and helping others.

Some people yearn for things to be the way they remember they once were. But they speak as if it is impossible. The reality is that it is possible. There are enough people with the values that made the old neighborhoods so wonderful. The biggest hurdle is to understand the concept that thinking of the welfare of others first, results in the fulfillment of oneself.

Mother Teresa said "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." By starting with the elders and working on down, it is possible to touch every life in a positive way. But first someone has to get on their knees and pick up all those M&Ms