I live on a street that has everything. Cats and dogs, squirrels and birds, kids, babies, families, young and not so young. We probably use three or four different waste pick up companies. We drive different cars and have different homes. Some days we cross the street and talk with our neighbors. Sometimes we cross to the other side and welcome people that just moved in.
We complain and celebrate similar issues and agree to disagree. We can’t exactly unsubscribe from each other, so we make the best of it…. Spring tends to give everyone a do over. And while our yards are split with fences, our sidewalks are all connected and at some point we find ourselves clearing the snow off their portion of that walk connected to ours. But it’s no big deal, they’re our neighbors.
I am most grateful for living next to a church. Quiet weekdays but Sundays are exciting. The smiles, the light steps and heightened conversations. Years ago we got into a dispute with the church management. We were at an impasse and it was our Mayor at the time, Jerry DiTullio, that mediated an agreement that has lasted to this day. It’s where my kids first learned to ride their bikes and drive a car.
Our neighbors are from all walks of life. We have elected officials, sustainability specialists, healthcare workers, guitar builders, natives, people born outside of the United States. It’s a real microcosm of America.
We had an elementary school down the block but it’s Wheat Ridge so you know it was shut down. I miss seeing the families walking to and from school. But I love everyone passing by my door on their long walks. My favorite is a couple that spends half the year here and the other half in another state. I love chatting with them. Sometimes we meet our neighbors from across right in the middle of the street and start chatting. It’s Wheat Ridge.
The thing about our street is the traffic calming islands. I don’t know about calming, but it’s certainly different. We love the trees towering over the cars and asphalt lanes. Unfortunately they get knocked around and damaged by the tall moving trucks, buses and the endless delivery trucks cutting through our street. Maybe we should have only one delivery company.
I’m always perplexed by some of the cars passing by at snail’s speed almost stopping and staring at the homes. I wonder if it’s the people reporting to Code Enforcement. One of my favorite neighbors lives on our street just a block down. You can see her tending to her beautiful gardens year round. She’s the one with a huge smile on the right.
Sometimes I turn my phone off and sit on my front porch and watch my block. How issues are resolved and relationships are nurtured. Life is good on my street, how about on yours? As always, thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Neighborhood Gazette or its staff.
