Down here at the bend we measure security in terms of community. We live amid friends, people that help us when we need help. Unlike places we lived before where neighbors were distant and aloof, here everyone is into potlucks and parties. Which is why we moved here. We came and saw what kind of community Tami and Lyle were building and decided we wanted in.
Fifteen years ago, Tami started Trail Crawl, a ridiculously fun way to build community. When the trout lilies and daffodils have bloomed, neighbors on both sides of Stinking Creek celebrate by opening their homes. Meeting people is work for an introvert like me but Trail Crawl makes it just plain fun.
Last weekend four families opened up their homes and thirty of us walked the trails from the Farm to the Burrow to Abeyance. It was gloriously nourishing, as always. All of it – the food, Spring weather, food laughter and sharing. We met new friends, connected with old and posted pictures here.
This morning I saw a crow sauntering down the yellow stripe on the Moncure Pittsboro Road and I wondered if it walked all the way from Abeyance with a picture in my mind of the place and the people. Bob speculated it might be the ghost of Buddy, Janice’s black dog who had a fatal disregard for traffic.
Homeland security means that when Ray is driving to work and sees a truck on fire in someone’s front yard, he pulls in and alerts the owner. When a neighbor is sick, we bring food. When Jim needs some extra hands to install a cupola, he calls Bob who calls Malcolm and Nikolas and they get it done. When you want to share a secret or feel like looking for morels but don’t want to do it alone, you know where to find a friend.
When/if the economy crumbles, we’ll be well-served to know our neighbors. When we can no longer afford fuel to run our cars, I feel secure knowing we’ll figure out a new path as a community. In the meantime, it’s just fun to see what pops into our heads when we see a crow walk down the street.
