No real sense of community here

I live in the Alta Vista area. There are a lot of houses with nice landscaping and gardens with many interesting kinds of plants and trees. A couple of days ago I was out walking. I decided to turn down a little side street and was appreciating the various styles of the yards and houses when a man in an SUV pulled up to me and said, “Can I help you find your way?” I said, “Oh, no. Thanks.” Then he said, “What are you looking for?” and I said, “Nothing, I’m just taking a walk.” He just kinda looked at me like he didn’t believe me, so I asked, “Why?” and he said, “I just like to keep an eye on things for my neighbors,” which is basically the same as saying “You look suspicious. I think you’re up to something.” Naturally, I was angry. I wondered what made him suspicious of me. Was it because I stopped for a couple minutes to appreciate a view by the roadside? Is that so unusual these days? If you’re not doing something active or being distracted by some sort of high-stimulation entertainment, does that make you suspicious?

Who knows what that guy was thinking? Regardless, this experience has re-affirmed my feelings that the area I live in is pretty, but just for the eyes. There is no real sense of community here. We’re a bunch of people who have moved out to live in this nice, pleasant-looking place, but we’re all afraid of each other.

This is how it seems to me: Our society is moving from being uncomfortable with each other toward being paranoid. Just the other day I heard a newscaster say, “Shouldn’t Americans be willing to sacrifice some civil liberties for a more secure nation?” I wouldn’t. I realize that I’m going to die someday. The nature of life is insecure. No matter what we do, accidents can happen. If we let the government regulate every facet of our lives, then maybe we can eliminate many risks, but no government, however efficient, can prevent bad things from ever happening. Think about it. You only have so long here. How do you want to spend that time? Uptight and suspicious of everyone around you? Clinging on to what you’ve got so tightly that you can’t even enjoy having it? Or would you live your life with an open heart, knowing that anything can happen? It’s your choice, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that it’s a choice between freedom and security. It’s a choice between either living your life with your eyes open or sticking your head in the sand. You might imagine you’re secure with your head stuck in the sand, but in reality you’re still just as vulnerable, if not more so, as the person who chooses to go through life with his eyes open.