JANUARY 1, WEDNESDAY

THE AMERICAN WAY (2)

Our disconnected way of living is simply the American way, it starts with everything being spread out and accessible only by car.  In Winsen, my wife’s home village, people have cars but everything necessary is within walking or bicycle riding distance.  Instead of having a huge Ingles department store with the choice of fifty kinds of dry cereal that is ten minutes away by car, there is an Aldi with 8 types of cereal just around the corner.  Instead of having a huge refrigerator and stocking up every week, people have a small refrigerator and walk to the grocery store every day.  And, of course, the smaller the radius you walk around in and shop in the more people you know by name and stop to have conversations with.  I almost never have a conversation with anyone in Ingles.  

Even when I go to San Miguel de Allende I know that there will be outdoor spaces and walkable small stories spread out everywhere and while people will have cars they will be able to walk everywhere and instead of people being locked away, much more will take place in public including a huge public square.  In Colombia, where I was for a month three months ago so much was out in the open with openair stalls lining the wide streets and crowds strolling everywhere and a huge flea market inviting people in. 

All of this is the long way around to Capitola Mill apartments.  In Marshall, a town of 800 people, most people know most people.  In Capitola Mill not only do people know each other but they run into each other in the common area with a common kitchen, the exercise room, at the rooftop shared tables.  And that was what was happening in Trish’s apartment.  It was a way for people to connect with each other. Capitola Mill is within walking distance of downtown Marshall, which is dead now because of Helene, but by April will come back to life, where you can count on meeting people at Zuma’s or the Natural Food Store or the Old Marshall Jail or Mal’s Bar.  Marshall has parades and celebrations multiple times a year where people, oldtimers and newcomers, meet and connect with each other.

Susie wants me to move to Capitola Mill to be close to her and Todd, but if I move there I will also be able to connect with many people casually, multiple times a day, and be able to walk to most everything.