Has our Independence Pushed us away from Community?
We value our independence. We brag about our independence. We even have a day to celebrate it. As a father, I take pride in my children showing their independence as they get older. From the time they cry, “Mine!” as a toddler to them “testing the waters” in their teenage years, every step of growth moves toward independence. Every parent I know wants to raise their children to be independent, productive citizens. No one wants a child living in the basement at thirty-five, right? But perhaps we’ve gone a little too far with that. I wonder if this idea of independence has devolved into us thinking we are weak creatures if we admit our need for others. Independence is the attitude that I don’t need anyone else.
A friend remarked recently that the designs of our homes have changed over the years into spaces that limit relationships and community. My grandmother’s house had a huge front porch with a big swing that we used to enjoy. We’d hang out on that front porch in the evenings, knowing someone would eventually “drop by,” and we would congregate on the front porch to have conversation and cultivate relationships. My, how times have changed. Large front porches are rare today. And the furniture in our living rooms faces in one direction: toward the television.
Do you think this is good? How can we overcome this?