As I think I said, I moved in 17 days ago. My new condo is in a nice complex in the hills of Orange. Though there are several complexes in this area, my street is a little alcove of about twenty addresses, and it feels very secluded from the rest of the area. People regularly walk their dogs and talk to each other even in these restricted conditions (each of the condos has balconies, so sometimes people talk from ground to balcony, something I call Romeo and Juliet Social Distancing).
I haven’t met many of the other people on the street, though everyone seems friendly enough and says hello on their walks. I suppose it was unrealistic to expect people to bring baked goods in the current situation. However, I have met my immediate neighbor, the one place I share a wall with.
She is a lovely person, and we have taken quickly to saying hello when we see each other and send texts every few days checking on one another’s health. She is in a more vulnerable group than I, and she was self isolating a full week before I started. So she was an old hand at this craziness and was reassuring during the first day.
I go to the store regularly, going early in the morning so I avoid most people, but once a week I go to Trader Joe’s. If you don’t know why, you must not have a Trader Joe’s near you. As I prepared for my trip today, I texted my neighbor and asked her (as I always do) if I could pick something up for her. However, this time instead of her usual no, she asked if I could get a few things for her because she doesn’t want to face the lines and the crowds at TJs. I was never happier to do so, and as I left the bag on her doorstep, rang the bell, and stepped away, I felt home in a way I haven’t before.
Most of us live in complexes or tracts, but neighborhoods are few. In my first two houses I lived as if I were on a 100 acre estate, even though my next door neighbors were no more than ten feet away. The opportunity to know, to look out for, and best of all help each other has been washed out of modern city living, and for a moment today brought together by this place and this terrible time, I found it.
Be safe, be strong
Today’s Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7gYIK14rMIRYJK4TuyWBuS?si=KSZtCtkoQdm48iayZMLCWA
Brilliant! Just brilliant.
I can’t help thinking about the title of your blog. . .workwithhope. I believe it definitely does have different meaning during these times. Our work in this world world is the positive connections we make, and the support we give, to others.
Sally
P.S. Heard the other day that Hank Evers is no longer at the Pastoral Center. Actually, right now, no one is since the center is closed. It appears to be a “furlough” for many.