together

Growing up on Denniston Avenue in Pittsburgh living in a row house, surrounded by four other rows of homes I thought that my universe started and ended at 1618A. There were large three story homes across the street, and albeit many of those families perhaps had more income then the row house families, but they were still a part of my universe. We all had to shovel the snow from our yards and parking spaces in the winter, sat either on our porches or front lawns in the summer, worried about falling branches and tree limbs in the spring, and raked the leaves from the sidewalk in the autumn trying to prevent spills and falls on the pavement. 

When an American holiday happened, we all placed our flags on the front of our homes, assisting the older neighbors who just could not do it for themselves. When the snow was really deep the kids pitched in and made traversing on the pavement safer for all of the families. A power outage and we made sure the most frail of families to the most self reliant were safe and sound. It is what we did on Denniston.

Of course we had neighbors who were scary and mean, but this was Denniston and it was our universe, so each and all played a part in making it through the day.

I was raised by my mother and father telling me that I could do or be anything I wanted but along the way, I would need assistance from those around me. I could be a success but that success had some dependency on how I treated others and how others saw me. You could be alone if you wanted but loneliness was poison because it meant that you were brazen enough to think all you earned was done only by you. My parents aided me in realizing I am as good as those in my world.

And here we are in 2012 and the leadership of the Republican/Tea Party are sounding off that YOU and only YOU are what counts. Any assistance from others is a mere distraction. And in fact many who have less then you are either jealous of your success or want to tear it down. For men like Romney/Ryan and their cohort of supporters poor is bad and is the fault of the lazy. If you are successful, it is because you did it, and did it without the help of the loser who only wants to drain your blood.

I lived on Denniston Avenue almost fifty decades ago, but the spirit of community still lingers large in my heart and soul. The idea that others are unimportant or just a side bar is foreign to me. I had teachers who motivated me, I had neighbors who supported me, I had role models who guided me, I had friends who believed in me and I had family who loved me. I could not be the man I am NOW if it was not for EVERYONE else from my past.

Sorry Mitt and Paul, my America is one of inclusion, not exclusion.