Little kids and lemonade stands bring neighbourhoods together. Having moved to the opposite side of a major city, away from where I was born, raised and spent most of my life, it’s almost like forging into a brave new world. I’ve stopped hanging out with most of my old friends, every time I visit my hometown it looks increasingly different—I’ve had to accept that my old hometown is no longer so.
But whereas I grew up with my neighbourhood there for close to 20 years, here it’s like starting from scratch. This kinda sucks, because one’s neighbourhood and how much they’re involved with it have direct correlations with the quality of life you’ll have wherever it is that you live.
Today, though, that gap was closed a little—all it took was a little girl and a lemonade stand.
As I stood outside of my next-door neighbour’s house, sipping on an inexpensive but refreshing glass of lemonade, more and more neighbours stopped by to get a glass. Before I knew it, we were making plans for an August BBQ so that everyone in the area could get to know one another!
Never underestimate the power in numbers. We are driven and bonded through shared experiences; they break the barriers that we’ve put up amongst ourselves and prepare us for the challenges we’ll face in the future.
So next time you see a little boy or girl selling drinks on a hot summer day, don’t just walk on by. Stop, refresh yourself, and maybe strike up a little conversation. You never know where a couple of quarters might take you!
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