My best friend and I married sisters. He’s my brother-in-law, road manager, booking agency partner (we started one last year) and co-pastor at IKON. We see each other a lot, not just because of those connections, but because he has four kids and I have three who can’t go more than 48 hours without seeing each other, which is easy to arrange since we only live a mile apart.
Every other day, or more often we, he and I and our wives and all seven kids, gather in Brian’s cul-de-sac to hang out. Brian’s neighbors come out too. We all sit back, relax and take turns parenting the herd of 10-15 kids. Brian’s yard is the epicenter of this community he and I affectionately call the “cult-de-sac.” Becky and I are honorary members of the cult by marriage now due to a recent change in the bi-laws made by a two thirds majority vote among cult-de-sac members. Brian’s wife (more than likely the key lobbyist in the bi-law battle) is the primary bringer of drinks, fixer of boo-boos, and unfolder of chairs in the cult-de-sac. Brian’s yard is the most popular gathering place because she’s there and it’s home to the ever-popular trampoline.
But he may have competition now. His next door neighbor, Tim, bought a Green Machine. Not the kid kind but the full on adult sized big boy edition. Stand-offish at first, Brian and I eventually took our turn roaring around the circle racing our kids’ Barbie and BMX bikes today. You haven’t experienced remorse until you’ve smack-talked a four year-old into tears.
After being coaxed off our new favorite thing this afternoon we and members of the cult-de-sac bought some pizzas and hung out some more in Brian’s front yard where his lawn is dying from all the daily visiting with neighbors and trampling by kids going on. And it will only get worse/better. Every day the cult grows, more neighbors gather in the cult-de-sac for conversation and snacks.
My neighbors, just a short distance away, park in the garage in hopes of avoiding the folks next door. The yuppies there are too busy working late and kids are too busy watching TV or something to ever just hang out on the porch or stop and visit for a while. My driveway is too empty and my grass is in too good of shape. Maybe I need to buy some pizza and a Green Machine.
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That was an incredible post. Probably because I’m imagining the two guys I watch lead our college group tooling around with a circus of kids and growing adults, eating pizza, jumping on the trampoline, and embodying summer. I never grew up in a neighborhood like that, and it’s pretty amazing that both Brian’s and your own clan get to enjoy that. … I love community.