Great narrative. I can recall a place and time where children were safe running errands. This place was populated by cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, godmothers, godfathers and neighbors. Neighbors made these places safe. A different kind of generational wealth existed in this place. The wealth of security. This village assumed the responsibility for raising all of the children in the village. Not perfect but safe. A place where a ten year old boy could board a bus on his own, go "down town" to make bank deposits and walk home to save ten cents in bus fares.
That extended neighborhood was in the city, not in the suburbs . Somebody on every street knew the family that boy belonged to. Some nosey lady or grand-daddy was watching the streets. That security was a kind of generational wealth that belonged to the village and the children, all of the children belonged to the village.
Great narrative. I can recall a place and time where children were safe running errands. This place was populated by cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, godmothers, godfathers and neighbors. Neighbors made these places safe. A different kind of generational wealth existed in this place. The wealth of security. This village assumed the responsibility for raising all of the children in the village. Not perfect but safe. A place where a ten year old boy could board a bus on his own, go "down town" to make bank deposits and walk home to save ten cents in bus fares.
That extended neighborhood was in the city, not in the suburbs . Somebody on every street knew the family that boy belonged to. Some nosey lady or grand-daddy was watching the streets. That security was a kind of generational wealth that belonged to the village and the children, all of the children belonged to the village.