Hi Charity. I could comment on your newsletters almost every single week, but don't always have the time. I am currently visiting our son in seminary this weekend. As I thought about neighbors, I thought about last night. We drove the 8 hours here and then took him to an early dinner. Then he said we could wait at his apartment while he helped his friends move. We went along. The seminary has a sort of gated community and has married housing, married with kids housing, etc. So we pitched in and moved her from one third floor to another. She had a pile of goods that were going to the sharing house. Our seminary has something similar. Students can go and pick up furniture or other things that people didn't need. In fact, the couch in my son's apartment came from another student who didn't need it. Also, they go in and out of each other's apartments.
The friends were gathering after the move to eat pizza and just visit. I have so much to learn from that. His apartment was not perfect. In fact, this was the son who used to tease me about cleaning our house up perfectly before guests came. "Mom, the president isn't coming!" And yeah, he doesn't care that stuff is strewn everywhere. His friends didn't care either.
Finally, I wanted to comment on losing curiosity. I participate in the American Exchange Project. I am just going to link my blog post about it rather than summarizing. We enjoyed hosting the young people and will be hosting some new ones again in June. I love this project.
Oh Charity, just today I was going to send you a link to an interview with Jonathan Haidt in which he unpacks this essay with Andrew Sullivan (The Dishcast) because of the social media question! I hadn't read the essay—now I can! Also, so interesting what you explore here about parenting, autonomy, freedom et al (views differ hugely here in the UK, too. I'm betting you can guess where I land! :) Like you!). Also, I know it's old, but have you seen the Susan Pinker TED TALK, The Secret to Living Longer/Italian Blue Zone? She talks about exactly this when it comes to knowing our neighbours and living truly in community. Loved all of this.
Hi Charity. I could comment on your newsletters almost every single week, but don't always have the time. I am currently visiting our son in seminary this weekend. As I thought about neighbors, I thought about last night. We drove the 8 hours here and then took him to an early dinner. Then he said we could wait at his apartment while he helped his friends move. We went along. The seminary has a sort of gated community and has married housing, married with kids housing, etc. So we pitched in and moved her from one third floor to another. She had a pile of goods that were going to the sharing house. Our seminary has something similar. Students can go and pick up furniture or other things that people didn't need. In fact, the couch in my son's apartment came from another student who didn't need it. Also, they go in and out of each other's apartments.
The friends were gathering after the move to eat pizza and just visit. I have so much to learn from that. His apartment was not perfect. In fact, this was the son who used to tease me about cleaning our house up perfectly before guests came. "Mom, the president isn't coming!" And yeah, he doesn't care that stuff is strewn everywhere. His friends didn't care either.
Finally, I wanted to comment on losing curiosity. I participate in the American Exchange Project. I am just going to link my blog post about it rather than summarizing. We enjoyed hosting the young people and will be hosting some new ones again in June. I love this project.
https://travelingwiththefather.christinelangford.com/traveling-to-understand/
Thanks again for all of the work you put into this newsletter.
Christine
Oh Charity, just today I was going to send you a link to an interview with Jonathan Haidt in which he unpacks this essay with Andrew Sullivan (The Dishcast) because of the social media question! I hadn't read the essay—now I can! Also, so interesting what you explore here about parenting, autonomy, freedom et al (views differ hugely here in the UK, too. I'm betting you can guess where I land! :) Like you!). Also, I know it's old, but have you seen the Susan Pinker TED TALK, The Secret to Living Longer/Italian Blue Zone? She talks about exactly this when it comes to knowing our neighbours and living truly in community. Loved all of this.