Interestingly, the pandemic altered this briefly in my neighborhood. Seemingly out of nowhere, for a few months in 2020 - our streets were filled regularly wit

Interestingly, the pandemic altered this briefly in my neighborhood. Seemingly out of nowhere, for a few months in 2020 - our streets were filled regularly with walkers, dogs and children. There were new face-to-face conversations with people who had lived in the same neighborhood for over 7-10 years. There were driveway get togethers, cul-de-sac firepits and a renewed sense of community that went deeper than asking for a contractor recommendation or a cup of sugar. While the pandemic was horrible in numerous ways, this was one side-effect that was truly positive for my small piece of the world and has resulted in stronger, new friendships that I hope to continue. In retrospect, could we have done this through social events or aggressive reach-outs - sure. But the apathy and distraction provided by using a car to go somewhere was a constant saboteur.