Thursday, September 5, 2013

Where everybody knows your name.

You know the Cheers theme song... 

"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.
And they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see your troubles are all the same.
You wanna be where everybody knows your name."

Go on... Keep singing. Ill wait for you to finish the piano keys too.

What a great song and can I just say how right Gary Portnoy was when he penned those now-famous lyrics.

He is singing about belonging and belongingness has long been know to motivate human behaviour. It is what motivates us to volunteer at our local kindergarten, to offer to keep score at the local football game and it keeps us frequenting the local shops.

It makes us feel as though we are part of something bigger and more important than ourselves.

For us, we belong to a community in Ascot Vale, Melbourne. There are a strip of shops, which we visit often,  almost daily. There is an op shop, a butcher, a florist, a local physio, a deli, the library and some funky little coffee shops. 

A little community in an otherwise big city, where people genuinely care for one another. 

There are some eccentrics in our community. For example, there is Tom, as in peeping Tom. He is a recovering alcoholic who you'll spot reading the back page of the Harris Scarf Catalogue {the undies section}. He once told me that he used to like hiding behind the trees and perving on the girls at the beach in his younger days.

*step away from Tom*

And there's some darn right amazing people like Mary who is a devoted Bombers supporter. The recent drugs saga nearly sent her to death bed. Bless Mary. And then there's the 3 Italian stooges who sit and drink coffee all day. They always wave hello. And George who nearly died from a king hit back in the day. His got the scars to proove it and he will happy show you. Sweet Judy is one of our favourites. She has had too much sadness for any one person. Her mum passed away on the day she was told of her 5th cancer diagnosis. Yes, 5th. AndJasmine. Jasmine has a disability. But she doesn't let that her hold her back and let me not forget, Chris and Jenny. Jenny has dementia. She has lost the ability to speak but she loves babies and Chris loves her. They are love. And, Louise. Louise is undergoing her 4th IVF treatment. She admits to feeling a little emotional. And Sally, well Sally just wants to sleep. Sadly, her new little newborn baby, Harry does not. 

Poor Sally.

Oh, and then there's me. I am Noah's Mum. I just had another boy, but noone can quite remember his name. Jeremy? Julian? 

Juuuudddde, I say.

And see this is our community. There are others of course, but these people are my favourite. Their stories are amazing and at times inspirational. I listen to them as I know they listen to me. I often think we could write a book with all their stories. 

A story about our local community, where everyone knows your name, well, kind of. 

Love Noah's Mum. xxx

Where do you belong? In a sporting club? In a pirates club or at the local gym?

Noah at the deli where everyone shares their story and knows your name.