Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Yes - that was a Cheers reference! As the iconic theme song goes, “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came…You wanna be where you can see our troubles are all the same. You wanna go where everybody knows your name.”
A few weeks ago, we took a trip back to our home state of Illinois to spend time with family and see a handful of friends. When Christina and I arrived back at the Village, before we even pulled up to our house, I saw our next-door neighbor walking his chihuahuas. I rolled down the window and said “Hey! We’re back!” His immediate response was, “Hey pal! We missed you guys. It sure was quiet on our street while you were gone.”
Knowing our girls have hefty “outdoor voices” when they’re playing outside, I clarified…“Was it quiet in a good way or a bad way?” And he insisted it was quiet in a bad way.
The next day, as we walked around the Village, person after person echoed similar refrains:
“We missed y’all!” “Hey, when did you get back?” “You’re home!” “It hasn’t been the same without your family.” “How was the trip?” “Where are Kristin & Kaylynn?” “I’m glad you are back.” “Where’d you go?” “You’re back!”
The thing is, Community First isn’t a place of empty platitudes and social niceties. They, “Ain’t got time for that shit.” People tell it like it is and are straight shooters, which I appreciate, so the fact that so many people noticed we were gone and were glad to see us return, was really touching. I’ve never been in a neighborhood that paid so much attention to my comings and goings.
A couple responses really hit me even deeper. Susie said, “We had a party last week and were talking about your girls. It isn’t the same without them.”
Doc said, “Dude, I thought you all moved without telling me. But then I was like, nah they just started building that deck, so I bet they’re on vacation.”
When you are becoming part of a community, there’s an invisible line that you cross one day. It seems like it’s only in hindsight when you realize your life has become interwoven with theirs. After that point, you notice their absence at parties, and if they ever move, it feels like a piece of you goes with them. It goes beyond, “Nice to see you!” and moves into, “It’s not the same when you are gone.”
People know our names. We matter to them, and they matter to us. It’s good to be home.