Real Community v. Suburban Community

There is a place, literally on the "other side of the tracks" in Winter Park that is referred to as the Hannibal Square district. The surrounding area is almost exclusively black/African-American (not sure which is the pc thing to say these days). Drive through the area and you see people grilling out, hanging with their neighbors, sitting on the front porch, or walking to the non-chain grocery store. It's real community. There is real belonging. People are known. This picture would seem a beautiful thing, except for the fact that "Winter Park Whitey" wants to destroy it. Case in point.

One used to be able to drive past the little park in the area and see old, black men sitting, chatting, smoking their pipes and playing checkers. It was their place. That is until the white community realized that the old building across from the park were prime real estate. So in the name of "progress", restaurants and shops were put in, and in order to keep everything looking nice the park was remodeled. It was billed as beneficial to all--"all" apparently meaning the white people. The tables were taken away--apparently too much loitering with the tables. Yeah, you'd hate to have people just hanging out in the park. So now the old guys have no place to play checkers. Now when I drive by, I see rich white people sipping their wine at their outdoor cafe' overlooking the park. To my chagrin, but the satisfaction of many, no more old black guys in the park. Contrast that type of community which exists, but is in danger of being destroyed with what I came across the other day in "suburban land".

Driving down the street, a street not too far from my home, is a rather familiar sight, with a slight exception. At the end of the driveway is the big, green city garbage can. However, the proud owner of this particular garbage can had taken the time to spray paint in big white letters, DO NOT LEAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRIVEWAY. What in the world? Who the heck has time to spray paint their freakin' garbage cans? A better question is why did they spray paint their garbage can? Here's my cynical answer...if the garbage can is left in the driveway then Mr. or Mrs. Suburbia may actually have to get out of their Suburban SUV without being able to sneak quickly into their garage. They may actually have to run the risk of seeing one of their neighbors. They may actually have to talk. They may have to take some time that isn't programmed into their PDA. What a tragedy that would be. To actually have to talk. To actually have to engage with those in the neighborhood.

I hope this last vestige of real community in Winter Park, being the "black" neighborhood on the wrong side of the tracks is not destroyed in the name of white progress. We could learn much from how they live. How they connect. How they belong.