Curtain twitchers...

There has been so many blog opportunities of late, but no time in which to get it all down! I guess the problem is that you have this constant stream of thought, prompted by your ever changing surroundings; sometimes you are in a position to log on and jot it down, other times you are busy and by the time you think of it again the moment has passed and something else comes along. It always seems to be the everyday things that prompt a response on some deeper level; ultimately, whatever it is that sparks a thought is often so random, I am often startled by where my thought chain starts and ends.

The other day, as I was driving home through the 'burbs', no less than four people with a dog were happily exercising their little fur balls, four people...there were also five children playing street cricket, two people washing their car, a lady gardening, a window cleaner up a ladder and a tree surgeon working on an overgrown birch...oh, did I mention the partridge in a pear tree!

All of this activity in one street, not my street, a friend's who I am staying with whilst my flooded house is repaired. I am officially living in suburbia...which got me thinking - in some ways it was nice to see so many people, all of whom would know one another and look out for one another etc, but in another way I felt like an intruder, as there was no acknowledgement for me, just a few stares, blanks and the odd twitching curtain!

This incident happened a couple of weeks back and since then, given all of the dog walkers, gardeners, window cleaners, small children and curtain twitchers would have seen me drive home every day, it appears that I have been accepted into the suburban fold. I now receive the occasional nod, afternoon and sometimes a cheeky smile or wave from one of the street urchins!

So, now I have 'made it' what does this mean - does it bring new responsibilities; am I on neighbourhood watch, should I tell someone if they have left their washing out in the rain, is the bouncy castle now a communal toy for all street children not just the ones that live in my house?? Is there a suburban code of conduct?

I am not too sure, but there is a little part of me that likes being accepted into the group. Interesting for me, as when I initially noticed how everyone behaved I was defensive and a little agitated by the cliques - now I am a 'member' the irritation has been replaced with more of a protective kind of feeling and so I can understand why I initially got the cold shoulder from those simply protecting the 'club'.

Anyhow, the point of this was merely to say that whilst we appear more independent and less community orientated, I believe that not to be the case. It seems to me that we still desire that sense of community, but the bonds we form and the structures that mould our mini worlds are less traditional. It used to be family, regardless of interest, status or ability to get on and now it is all about core beliefs, convenience and lifestyle. In a way, we are chameleons who blend in and out of our environment as and when it suits and then shed skin and move on when we have had enough!