Want to know your NEIGHBORS? This could save your life, or your pet's life......

[Shandi]

Before I share my latest discovery that may benefit you, I'll just mention how I view WaccoBB as a wonderful resource for all of us who live in Sonoma County. It has connected me to some friendships I never would have had. I'm very grateful to Barry, and to all those who don't know me in person, but have actually emailed me to say how much they've enjoyed my posts. Mostly they use the word "inspirational", which is perfect feedback for me, since a big part of my life purpsose is "to inspire". The other parts are "to encourage" and "to support". So I know I'm on track! I'm also grateful to those who post topics that I normally wouldn't even think about. That expands my knowledge, and nudges me to think about how I perceive and feel about these things. So, you all help to exercise my brain cells, so they don't atrophy!

I WaccoBB, as evidenced by my hundreds of posts over the years. However, it seems that not many people live in Rohnert Park, and have actually badmouthed RPK. Cities are just places where people live, out of choice or necessity, and residents can't be really judged by where they live. I've heard people say that those who live in Sebastopol are cliquey (sp?) The people I know who live in Sebastopol are like the people I know and enjoy who live in RPk. They are conscious, caring, nature and animal loving, and doing something meaningful with their time and energy.

I RPk, because everything I need is within a 2 mile radius. I also love the combination of town and nature, places for cultural outings like the Green Center, 5 grocery stores to choose from, many thrift stores, senior center, library, muliple parks (one which is actually kind of a secret, only discovered by those who can see beyond what looks like a regular neighborhood park into a "Paradise" that holds magical moments along the hidden path.)

There's a new networking site, called Nextdoor.com, which besides being a place to find out who your neighbors are, and will be a place to post animals that need a home, or animals found in your area.This site is "geographically specific" to your neighborhood. Besides finding like minded neighbors, it allows a new way to share all kinds of events, services, needs, and can make a huge difference if you have an emergency.

I attended a "Death Cafe" on Thursday, at Lydia's Sunflower Center, in Petaluma. It was the first one I'd been to, and the first time I"d been there. I discovered many people who were single, and living alone. Their fear was having a medical emergency, and not having anyone close by to call. Knowing neighbors could make a difference, and save your life, in a disaster. (think..... earthquake!)

I want to encourage everyone to check out the site, and find your neighborhood. Take the time to fill in your profile; it will make a difference. I saw one woman's profile that just listed that she'd lived in Rohnert Park for 30 years, and sold Mary Kay. That's missing a lot for me. There's plenty of people selling MaryKay. I want to know "who" she is. It's really about developing relationships, if only online, like WaccoBB, but closer to home.

I think it goes way beyond Facebook, and I'm committed to doing my part to promote this site, because it's a connection that can really make a difference. I know that many of us don't want another thing to read, or another email. And we don't have to. I just joined yesterday, and haven't checked out how to set email preferences. It's new, so there aren't that many people on yet.

Since Sonoma County StrayPetNetwork @yahoogroups is focused on animal rescue/rights, I think this site would add another way to get the word out to help animals. Consider that your cat or dog is lost. You would have an immediate way to get your neighbor's help, before you even make posters, or post on WaccoBB, Craig's List, or other sites that cover a huge geographical area.

This may save your life or your animal's life, and be the best way to get them back home to you. But it will only work, if you're listed on the site, and post when your animal goes missing, or you if find an animal.

I just realized that it would help to add some details about my cat. Not sure if I can post her picture. Imagine the possibilities, and consider taking advantage of this true local networking. You have the power to build something that can only be a benefit on many levels. This will involve a conscious decision on your part.

In the Spirit of Connecting,

Sandy(Shandi)

[Stargazer]

I must respectfully disagree with getting too involved with your neighbors. I do not feel that it is necessary to snoop around on some website to check out what your neighbors are doing and why.There are neighbors that are not kind, spread horrible gossip that is untrue and hurtful because they are mean spirited, bored, have power and control issues or are just plainly unhappy with their own lives.That is when the term busy body applies.

If you want to get to know your neighbors, try saying hello to them for a start. If you want to have some kind of positive connection and feel a sense of urgency, then have a block party, a house party or a neighborhood meeting. Then decide for yourself who you are comfortable getting to know better or who you would rely on or come together with in an emergency situation. Would you want to have a neighbor like Zimmerman? Some might, yet others may deplore someone who seems to be intrusive and aggressive.

Fear is its own worst enemy. Education is alot more powerful. If you need help or loose a pet, perhaps a neighborhood bulletin board may be effective if knocking on your neighbors door or calling them on the phone is not something you would want to do. Personally I would rather knock on my neighbors door or call them on the phone if I have a pressing concern. I always read signs that are posted near my home, so try posting in a visible spot if your message is important to you.

Some neighbors are more friendly than others. Some are just very busy making a living or living their lives and do not have alot of spare time. If you want interaction with a neighbor, test it with a gentle personalized approach. If your neighbor is annoying or you just do not like them, forget them and live your life without being a snoop.Some neighbors are open to communicating to solve issues. Others are not and may be in a fight mode. Use good judgement and pay attention to your surroundings.

We all have a right to privacy.Our lives do not need to become open books for everyone to see and interpret unless we make that choice. Just because something is posted on a website, it does not mean it is true. If your neighbor is an offender of some kind, what are you going to do about it any how?

Be kind, be the best person you can be, do not gossip and help others when and if you can. If your neighbor is inconsiderate, decide how important the issue is, try to communicate with them respectfully if they are open to speaking with you. Some people are more approachable than others.. If positive communication is not possible, then decide what the next step is for the solution if there is one. Accept people for who they are and be realistic. Do not be a snoop or a gossip.

If you have great neighbors, consider yourself very lucky. If you have problem neighbors, accept that and try to keep the peace the best way you know how. Accept the fact that people have different lifestyles and values. If someone is causing you harm, then decide the safest and most effective action that one can take or not take.

Wishing for a better world. "Be the change that you want to see" Accept what is in your control and what is not. Think before you speak, write or act. Accept reality and know when to keep your distance or when to engage.

In the spirit of personal connection, truth and reality.

[Shandi]

I'm responding, with a recent post which suggests "getting involved" with people who most likely aren't our neighbors, for obvious reasons of creating "community". So, I'm wondering if it's somehow safer to do this with people who aren't our neighbors? How do we build community if we don't share who we are? Meeting new people is always a risk; we can't assume that because they're attending an event like this, that they're kindred spirits. Some could be subversive and disruptive to what is trying to be accomplished. But those of us who believe in community have to move forward, with the goal in sight.

In the 60's, the theme was "world peace". I remember hearing the phrase "Peace begins with me", and "Peace begins at home". I believe that Peace extends from my home to my neighbors, to the community and beyond. It's obvious that peace doesn't reign in our hearts, our homes, our neighborhoods, our communities, our cities, or beyond..... How do we change this? Where do we begin?
____________________________________

Can Building Community Save Us? - a seminar-style meeting
Date & Time: Feb. 18, 2014, 7:00 pm
Location: Peace & Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Av, Santa Rosa

This is the first of what may become a series of seminar-style meetings at the Sonoma Co. Peace & Justice Center.

The present trajectory of human society on the earth isn't real promising - for either us humans
or for the natural environment that sustains us. The established economic and socio-political
systems seem to have tremendous inertia, making the direction of those systems quite difficult
to change. But for the survivability and well-being of both the global ecosphere and humankind,
change seems urgently needed.

Can building communities of mutual support and cooperation enable us to chart a new direction
for human society? If so, how could we do this? What is the essence of true community, and
how might we apply that on a larger scale? What does nature have to tell us about community
and cooperation? Could community enable us to live in harmony with each other and the natural
world as we share the abundance of nature and the amazing richness of human creativity?

We will be addressing these and other questions at a series of seminar-style meetings beginning
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 7:00 pm at the Peace and Justice Center, 467 Sebastopol Ave, Santa Rosa
(about 2 blocks west of Santa Rosa Ave). No charge (contributions to the P&JC accepted),
no need to RSVP.

I would probably attend this meeting, but I have planned to go to another one at the same time, on Planning for Your Longevity, a new 12 month workshop series from the Collaborative on Positive Aging. This will be #2 in the series, Exploring Values, and will be held at the ShareSpace at 533 5th St. Santa Rosa, 6-7:30pm. Drop-ins welcome. Donations of $3-5

I must respectfully disagree with getting too involved with your neighbors. ...

[Shepherd]

I appreciate this post from Shandi regarding connecting with neighbors, which I think Wacco and the website she mentioned below can be helpful. I think our futures are unpredictable, so it is wise to get to know one's neighbors. I am interested to know more of my neighbors, so if you are a neighbor of mine and would also like to do that, please email me and let me know how I might reach you.

I live about two miles south of Sebastopol, up from Hardcore Coffee, off Bloomfield. This neighborhood is called Hessel, Sebysouth, Sebtati, and various other names. I have lived here for 20 years on a small farm, where I also have a free dog park. I think there are many good reasons to get to know one's neighbors, including safety, mutual aid, helping with children and pets, especially during emergencies, going for walks together, sharing tools and other resources, etc. So if any of those issues or others might concern you, I welcome hearing from you.
Shepherd

There's a new networking site, called Nextdoor.com, which besides being a place to find out who your neighbors are, and will be a place to post animals that need a home, or animals found in your area.This site is "geographically specific" to your neighborhood. Besides finding like minded neighbors, it allows a new way to share all kinds of events, services, needs, and can make a huge difference if you have an emergency.

[Shandi]

Shepherd,

Thank you so much for supporting my heartfelt message about the value of Neighborhood.com, and even expanding on it, by honing in on your exact neighborhood, not just your zip code. Wow! I love the way you think, and your openness in being willing to take the risk of reaching out to those who live nearby. I've always enjoyed reading your posts, and wish that you were a neighbor! Actually, I worked in your neighborhood for 2 years.(If I'd only known that you lived nearby, I would have called to meet with you.) I may contact Neighborhood.com, and find out if there may be a way to specify a "particular area" of a zip code.

I did caregiving for two wonderful women in their 80's who lived on Bloomfield. One died after a year, and the other after I'd been there for two years. They were the best people I've ever worked for, and totally changed my perspective on my elders. I was 60 at the time, and they called me a "youngster". They were both so articulate, open, loving, and had a wisdom that was a gift they generously shared with me. I felt so appreciated, far beyond what I'd ever felt in any previous job. I had lowered my standard hourly rate (without them knowing) when I interviewed for the job. Within a week of being hired, (from a large number of responses to their WaccoBB post), they increased my pay an additional $5 an hour! This kind of thing is highly unusual, but it was the second time this had happened to me, after working only a week. (It happened during the same time period. I was working part time for them and another person who had raised my hourly $5 more!) It was mysterious and co-incidental. Neither of them knew the other person.

I'm now living in a senior mobile home park in Rohnert Park, that has 250+ homes. I'm attending a dinner tonight to welcome our new manager. My plan is to print up some flyers about Neighborhood.com, and see if any residents think it's a good idea. I actually want to put a page on Facebook (for Valley Village), and post a notice in our monthly newsletter, which I will do. Not everyone will attend the event tonight, so it will give me the opportunity to share this resource with more residents.

I'm not attached to the result; I just want to share the information. Some people will not want to risk getting to know their neighbors. More than likely this may be a result of a negative experience, or a need to be private, for one's own reasons. (For example, If someone is growing cannabis, a valuable resource that's viewed as illegal in some cases, they would want to limit their contact with strangers and neighbors.) If we live with roommates or partners that are substance abusers, or have undesirable social skills, we may also want to limit our contacts with neighbors because of a number of potentially fearful scenarios. That's very understandable.

Stepping into the unknown, by reaching out to neighbors, is an activity for the brave of heart. I'm hoping to see a number of us WaccoBB community members show up, in our respective neighborhoods. Seems like it could bring us even closer than we already are. Many of you who've never really met me in person, have responded to my posts through personal "gratitude" emails. I haven't attended Wacco picnics or other functions due to my physical limitations, so even after being a member since 2005, I only know a handful of you. I've appreciated the opportunity to get a sense of you and your spirit, from your posts, and replies to my posts.

So, I'm in gratitude for your willingness to share who you are, with thousands of virtual strangers. You have trusted us with your thoughts, feelings, and concerns, through this wonderful resource that wouldn't be what it is today, without the dedication and belief of our fearless leader, Barry.

I appreciate this post from Shandi regarding connecting with neighbors, which I think Wacco and the website she mentioned below can be helpful. I think our futures are unpredictable, so it is wise ...

[Shepherd]

We now have 3 human adults and one puppy who live on Cunningham Rd. interested in some sort of neighborhood connection. If you might live near us, south of Sebastopol, please let us know if you might be interesting in getting together in some sort of informal way. You define what "neighborhood" might mean.

I currently have the following give-aways: firewood from a large pine that we needed to cut down, as well as its pinecones. I also have an abundant crop of miners' lettuce, which you could come to my farm and pick. I can be reached at 829-8185, and take calls after 7:30 a.m., when I have finished feeding Winnie.

[Shandi]

I did a little more research on Neighborhood.com, and found out that you can start your own "neighborhood" area, with a minimum of 50 homes. I really like the way the site is set up, with categories, and ways that we can receive notifications, similar to WaccoBB.

I created up a flyer, and handed out copies to 60 people who attended a lunch yesterday at Valley Village Mobile Home park. I'm committed to getting the word out on this valuable resource. Next I'll walk around and put flyers in each box, which is next to the mailbox, so those who didn't attend the luncheon can get the information too.

I also created a "neighborhood" for our mobile home park, and posted some items I have for sale that I've chosen to include in other surrounding neighborhoods, along with some free stuff. I'll be posting these on WaccoBB.

I responded to a post today for a missing peafowl, which would have a greater chance of being found if neighbors could be notified by email.

I hope you and your neighbors benefit from your efforts at bringing people and one puppy together!

We now have 3 human adults and one puppy who live on Cunningham Rd. interested in some sort of neighborhood connection.

[Victoria Street]

Thank you Shandi for your input about the site called "Nextdoor". Several of us in our neighborhood used to spend a lot of time updating a neighborhood contact list, which often became outdated as people moved, changed phone numbers, etc. etc. It was a lot of work, and never fully current. Then a neighbor discovered "Nextdoor". It's great! No - it's not like Facebook. And, no - no one is snooping on each other. One needs to be "invited" - that's how it stays "in the 'hood". It's damn handy if there's a burglary or a potluck! People give away things for free and post it. People lose or find pets. Neighbors have eggs, or berries to pick. And if you happen to be a neighbor who's not interested, then, of course, you don't join and you are "off the radar" so to speak. No advertising, no soliciting. Just good ole fashioned community brought into the 21st century. I highly recommend it!