A Sense of Community is Most Important During the Holidays
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Bill Primavera
Considering how content I am today as a family- and home-centered person, it’s almost difficult for me to remember my first holiday season in New York City. As a new college graduate, it would be the place that I had identified from the age of 10 as where I would someday seek my fame and fortune.
I had arrived with two friends I had met as a performer in a summer stock production (yes, I once was in the show biz community), but our convivial relationship lasted but a short time owing to the fact that we shared a studio apartment and one of us (not me) was a real Lothario who managed frequently to entice a partner of romantic interest to our pad, while my other roommate and I would be told to get lost for an hour or so. (Lothario was at least quick.)
When it came time for me to find my own place, I took the suggestion of a co-worker and visited the charming historic neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, where I knew I could be happy, having grown up near Colonial Williamsburg and having attended the College of William & Mary, both steeped in history.
The one problem, however, was that I didn’t know a single soul in that community, and when the holiday season rolled around in quick order, I found myself wandering those beautiful streets of the neighborhood feeling sad and lonely. I found myself longing for the day when I’d have my own family to enjoy the holidays with.
Fast forward two generations when I find myself embraced by a loving longtime spouse, a daughter, son-in-law, a grandson and his wife and a fading memory of the days when I was all alone during the holiday.
But a sense of community doesn’t necessarily demand connubial bliss and progeny. There are other kinds of community with which to share life’s experiences and they increase as one grows older. I suppose that is one of the benefits of the passing years. True, we lose family members and friends who pass on, but at the same time, our work and social circles unite us with other souls seeking companionship, particularly at a time when those around us are celebrating the holidays.
I am reminded of this by my current living circumstance in a wonderful condo community containing 144 residences. Among our members is a group of senior men who gather periodically for libation and socialization. We call ourselves the “He-Men” – I guess it took me a long time to feel confident in calling myself one, and I don’t know who came up with the name, but I’ll take it – and we have a great time getting together. We’ve just had our holiday gathering together and I didn’t have to worry about driving home in a tipsy state; all I had to do was push the elevator button and pretend to my wife that I had just one drink.
At this time of year, I enjoy the television broadcasts showing generous and loving community members doing good works in their neighborhoods or volunteering in some way to benefit those in our communities who may be of need.
It warms my heart to realize how lucky I am to live in a free and open society where individuals can seek out their own roads to happiness and, at the same time, lend a hand to others in finding theirs.
Bill Primavera is a realtor associated with William Raveis Real Estate and founder of Primavera Public Relations, Inc., the longest-running public relations agency in Westchester (www.PrimaveraPR.com), specializing in lifestyles, real estate and development. To engage the services of Bill and his team to market your home for sale, call 914-522-2076.
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