What does community really mean?

Finally, just this week after almost two years, my family and i are all living in the same house!

Now before you get any strange ideas about what that is all about just know this... the "hot" real estate market can cool fairly rapidly when you are trying to sell a home in certain parts of the country!

Our home finally sold in another state and that allowed us to find a home here and get moved into it earlier this week! And if you would allow me for a moment to "brag" about how incredible our church here in Bolingbrook is, i would appreciate it! (this is my blog anyway!) The number of people who showed up on a Sunday afternoon to help us get our belongings moved into our new home was absolutely fantastic! It says volumes upon volumes about how loved our family is and makes our love for everyone at Westbrook grow exponentially with every passing day! You are the best Westbrook!

Back to my posted question... what does community really mean? i have heard that there was a time when new neighbors might move into a neighborhood or community and folks up and down the street or from all over the block would introduce themselves. They might explain little idiosyncrasies of the neighborhood or certain things (or cranky neighbors) to be mindful of, or where the best deals for groceries could be had and on and on it would go. But i wonder if the days of that kind of community are completely gone?

i am concerned because it means something when that kind of social networking is considered passe or a bother. Am i suggesting that we are all going to be best friends...No... but what about having a collective "us" attitude as opposed to a "survivor of the fittest" take on living with other people?

i am writing this in part because i think i may have an idea for an effort of establishing community in the "new" neighborhood we live in but frankly need to be held accountable and asked if i am actually doing what i am asking about in this posting!

i don't think i am talking about or advocating some sort of "new & improved" idea of community but rather maybe a return to the idea of simply looking out for one another. The concept of loving your neighbor can truly begin with loving the people who live right next door to you... even if they perhaps choose not to love you back. i know that's easier said than done but i wonder if we are willing to even try any more...

i for one have an idea in my mind for what i would like to see begin to happen on our street in our new neighborhood and that idea centers on doing what i can, no matter how significant or small to cultivate an atmosphere of community...
You know the kind of community that you get when one neighbor kid who does something that maybe he/she shouldn't do and knows that it won't go unnoticed and by the time he/she gets home not only does everyone on the block know what really happened but Mom & Dad know every accurate detail! Not only do they know but they aren't offended because other neighbors got "involved" in their family but rather they love their neighborhood because they know others are looking out to protect everyone's children and everyone's families.

Maybe that's not the best definition of community but i suspect it might be a good start....