When I walked to the bookstore today, with my grandson in tow, I was struck, as I always am, by the many different kinds of people who live in my neighborhood. I don't know all the demographics but I do know that there are large numbers of African-Americans and Hispanics--most of the children you see around here are from one of those two groups. But these are on the residential streets and in front of the apartment buildings; the closer we get to the main street that runs through downtown, the more whites we see. By the time we get to the shopping district known as the South Campus Gateway, the crowds are predominantly white. Of course, as the name implies, we are close to the Ohio State University.
But in my own neighborhood, not only is the diversity racial and ethnic, it is also socioeconomic. Only 14% of its inhabitants are homeowners and this area has the highest ratio of Section 8 housing in the city. A rehabbed house is often next door to one that is vacant. There are a fair amount of cars, but a high percentage of people walk or use public transportation. This is perhaps the most significant kind of diversity. It means that the area is highly transient and that there are a lot of people on the streets. It also means that those who own homes are often discouraged by the lack of care shown by renters toward their own dwellings.
But what is the most significant to me is that there is so much sameness in all this diversity. Mothers and fathers still walk their kids to school. Whole families walk to church on Sunday (and sometimes during the week as well). Children and teens flock to the local library to take advantage of its many programs, including help with their homework. Fathers as well as mothers are seen with their children in tow as they go about their business. Flowers are planted in front of apartment buildings (by the tenants, not property management). Parents bring their children to the local day care center. The sounds of schoolbuses and hordes of children resonate on the grounds of the elementary school. People walk by and compliment me on my garden.
Perhaps the greatest lesson for me from living in this neighborhood is how alike people really are. We may live in different types of dwellings, earn different levels of income, have varying degrees of education, work at a wide range of jobs, and come from different backgrounds, but we all want our children to be safe, to live in nurturing environments, to have a place we can call home. We share this neighborhood and together make up its special atmosphere. But the basics can be found anywhere.
