Neighbors

Ahhh, neighbors. My partner and I live in a cute (and for this post, undefined) central area in Taos where we share walls and sidewalk space with talented artists and people who have chosen to live and work in the area. It is "city," as much city as you can find in Taos. All of us are here by choice, following our dreams, supposedly, of art and creativity and an eclectic lifestyle. One would think that we all have more in common than not. Right?

Apparently, wrong. Not with everybody, but with some. Little petty differences seem to get in the way of decent human interaction. People these days, yes it seems more these days than in the past, are cranky, petty, angry, just plain mean. With many, there is no talking to, with...there is just "talking at," which is not communicating at all. Its just the projection of anger, of what Tolle calls "the pain body." When someone is talking to me like that,  I personally withdrawal. I say as little as possible. I refuse to go to that place of angry accusation, rage projected at another person. It is not about me. And yet, I feel a constriction in my throat. I feel the thing that I hate most. To be silenced.

But what part of me is actually silenced? That part that wants, like this other person standing on the street corner next me, with law enforcement officers like a protective wall between "us" and "them," to be "right?" To get my "way." Is that part silenced? These petty fights have nothing to do with justice, with right or wrong. They are the equivalent to children fighting over toys.

And still, we didn't "give in." Why? Well, business was at stake. And underneath the surface, our prides. The more you yell, get angry, talk over us so that we are supposedly silenced, the more we dig our heels in. Anyways, in the end, the interaction is as empty as a small town street in the wintertime. Lonely. I have to admit. In the middle of all the bustle of this place, I feel lonely here. From what I see, this street is about commerce, not connection. And commerce is down these days, way down.

When the time comes that we may need to band together for resources, for protection, what will happen then? In this crazy world, we know what is coming down the line. The way I see it, it is inevitable, a time when "community" will not be an idealized cliché to us 40-something who grew up with Sesame Street, but will be a necessity. During those times, trusting your neighbors won't just be nice. It could actually save a life.