BY B. JAY COOPER
Reprinted from BJayCooper.com

Neighborhood. Community. Internet. Smartphone. Texting.

What do those things have in common? Well, the first two are starting to fade. The last three are contributing to the fade.

Community used to have a different feeling when I was growing up. It could mean the people who lived next door (I knew them all when I was growing up on Herkimer Street in Waterbury, Conn). Today, I live in Washington, D.C. I know the neighbor we share a wall with. But I have no idea who lives two doors down.

In Cleveland, fortunately, Charles Ramsay didn’t run the other way when he heard a scream for help. He felt a sense of community. Of neighborhood. Someone who lived next door – a young woman he never knew even existed next door – Continue reading →