take pride in your neighborhood
i had been complaining for the past few weeks about the litter that has been accumulating outside of the large grocery store next door, as well as the dog poop owners have neglected to pick up. i was getting increasingly annoyed every time i walked past a fresh, untouched pile of crap, or saw that the litter still remained and no one had done anything about it.
i realized that neglectful pet owners would not suddenly decide to start cleaning up after their dogs, nor was the city coming to clean up the local litter. if i want to live in a neighborhood that i'm proud of and excited to come home to, i need to be part of what makes it better.
so, this morning i decided to walk to Ace Hardware and buy some gloves and a grabber, and do the dirty work myself. it was particularly warm today, as we approach the summer solstice, and i found myself quickly becoming sticky with heat. but i wouldn't let that stop me.
i spent the better part of an hour walking around my humble block, picking up trash and dog poop, and smiling at passerby's. i wondered if they thought i was doing court-ordered community service and then i wondered if it mattered. did i need them to know that i was just a neighbor, trying to improve our neighborhood? was i doing this to be seen? no, i reminded myself, i was doing this because i wanted to live in a space that is clean and whose occupants tend to each other. i didn't need to stop them and say, "hey! i'm doing this because i'm a good person! no one is forcing me!". i was above that.
in the end, i filled two trash bags with miscellaneous rubbish. when i got home, i separated the recycling from the landfill waste, in case you were still doubting if i'm morally superior.
i suppose the point of this post is: if there is something in your neighborhood you want to see changed, be the one to implement the change. stop waiting for someone else to do it, because they probably won't. if your neighborhood is dirty, spend some time helping to clean it up. maybe others will see you and be inspired. if you wish your neighborhood had a library or access to more books, buy a Little Free Library and set it up outside your house. if you wish there were more community events, plan one and go door to door to hand out invitations. set up fix-it-clinics, float the idea of a neighborhood-wide garage sale, play guitar on your porch, have a potluck. in times that are increasingly trying to separate us, find ways to come together.