@Mzuri, I've definitely noticed everything you've written. People have been sliding down that slope for several decades.
I've always made it a point to know my neighbors especially those who live closest to my house. It just makes sense to me.
I think it's ridiculous for people to live around each for years and not know the person across the street. I've seen it.
Yet, if something was to happen to their home, they'd be looking around "for a friend" to see if anybody saw anything.
If I have a package delivered to my house, I can call or text a few people in my neighborhood who would pull it indoors until I got home.
So, regardless of whether I'm doing my yard work or washing my vehicle or whatever, I'm like the neighborhood mayor in that I speak to everyone passing by and hold conversations with the folks I know personally.
This past summer, I thought about doing a pandemic-friendly outdoor concert in my driveway.
The neighbors would have been able to listen to the music from their own homes whether it was the porch or a lawn chair in their driveway or looking out the window.
I even talked to a few neighbors about it. They were ready to fire up grills and cook food and turn it into a community block party. I got busy with other things and didn't do it.
But, in the spring or summer of 2022, I'm definitely going to make it happen. Who knows, maybe I'll run for mayor in 2024. ๐๐