So what is different today? Is the world REALLY that much more dangerous, or is the PERCEPTION of the world just harsher?
(SALEM, Ore.) - When I was growing up, lo these 40 or so years ago, things were very different.
I had my bike and could ride it by myself or with friends anywhere in about a ten mile range. No one feared that as soon as I left my parents' side that I would be kidnapped and, surprisingly, that event never happened.
So what is different today? Is the world REALLY that much more dangerous, or is the PERCEPTION of the world just harsher?
Back in my childhood days there was a sense of community in the neighborhood. Any new neighbor was quickly visited by their new neighbors bearing cookies, etc., who were interested in meeting the new additions to the local greater family. Everyone knew everyone else, they knew what was usual and what was out of the ordinary. If a local kid just stepped one toe out of line, their parents were sure to know about it because the neighborhood parents had a thousand eyes on their kids all the time. It was hard for burglars to strike because any new person lurking around drew automatic attention.
What happened?
Best as I can figure out two things contributed to the decline of this idyllic lifestyle.
First was when corporate America stopped treating employees like people and started treating them like paperclips - interchangeable and eminently disposable. This coincided with 'Personnel Departments' becoming 'Human Resources Departments". Company loyalty to the employees vanished, mainly during the late 70's and early 80's. The first thing any new hire did on the job was update their resume and start redistributing it. Stability became a concept for the past, not the present.
In line with this instability came the second part;
Second, in line with this instability, people who used to move into a neighborhood and stay for years became short term renters, knowing they would probably only stay for a few months. We became a society of transients. It is hard to put down roots when you uproot and move on so often. Ask any plant.
Then it became a common adage for people to not get too close to the neighbors because you had to live there. The fear of one spat between neighbors overshadowed all the benefits of a close knit society. Also from the other side came the adage of why bother getting close to those who would likely just move on in a short time? How many cookies can you bake?
The end result has been a rise in fear, because it is human nature to fear what you do not know, and we no longer know our neighbors. It has resulted in crime increasing, in fact it flourishes in places where folks isolate themselves in fear.
What needs to be done is not that tough a concept, nor is it an easy one. We need to crack the shell of fear in Salem that has built up over the past few decades.
We need more than just an occasional and ill attended block party every so often. Each neighborhood needs to work hard to reconnect... with all residents, and specifically between neighborhoods, Each of us needs to take the time and effort to actually meet those who live on either side of us. It is not required that you play bridge with them every day or even that you like them. But meet them, know them, understand them. Know if they have kids. If those kids get into mischief do not fear letting their parents know of it. Maybe once you meet those two families you can meet the next two down, or maybe the ones across the street.
And so it would spread.
Remember it only takes one person to start this. Why not you?
Editor's note: Salem-News.com is proud to welcome Neal Feldman aboard as part of our writing and reporting staff. A resident of the local area for many years, Neal knows Salem, Oregon very well. Please look for more reports and commentaries from Neal on Salem-News.com
Growing Up in Salem, What Happened?Salem-News.com