Our Mr. Rogers neighborhood

Text:

© Grathy
I'm always amused when I'm driving through the neighborhood and everybody waves at me. I guess that's just what happens when you live in the suburbs. Everybody's friendly, or at least acknowledges that you are one of their tribe by waving at you.

If I waved at people in Los Angeles, they would think I was mentally unstable or that I had a learning disorder, or worse But down here in our gated community in Naples, Florida, everybody waves.

When my parents moved out to a suburb near Palm Springs, they had a little froggy sign on their front lawn. The front of the sign read “Hi.” The back of the sign read “Bye.”

Back then, it seemed so corny seeing that sign on my parent's lawn. It was the ultimate in Kitch. But now that I am older, and living in a senior community myself, these types of things don't seem unusual to me anymore.

It's as if we retirees have relinquished our urban shackles, and have let our city guard down. We have allowed ourselves to trust a little bit more, and be friendly once again.

And maybe that's not such a bad thing.