Between here and there

There is a very big difference between here and there. Although it's a small community in general, these two areas of town are completely different. I don't think there is a big economical difference, but the people are so very, very different.

There, most of the neighbors were rude, I worried about my kids when they went outside - I never knew what was going to happen.

Here, I step outside and say hi to the neighbors, I know my kids will be fine outside, and if something were to happen I would hear about it from whoever was a witness. And I would hear the truth.

There, if a child took something that belonged to another child, the story was deny, deny, deny. "Not my child." "You're a liar." "If you didn't see it, it didn't happen." "How dare you?" And my favorite... "I'll kick your ass!" And those are the supposed adults.

Here, if a child takes something that belongs to another child, the parent brings the child over, makes him give back what he took, and apologize. The child is punished and the parent is not only angry at the child, but embarassed at their behavior. It is so much easier to remember that all kids do these things and to forgive and move on when you know it's being taken care of in the home. When you know the parents are teaching the children better than that. When you know it's not condoned. Once a child leaves your sight (as they all must, at some point), you can't control their actions, you can only hope they remember what you've taught them and pray that they do right.

A good parent teaches his or her child to do right and corrects them when they do wrong. A bad parent defends the child, regardless of that child's actions. And that defense can make for an uncomfortable, sometimes dangerous neighborhood.

That is the difference between here and there. And I'm so glad that we're here.