On a recent Sunday, two generous couples who live in my apartment complex hosted a catered barbecue in the garden behind our buildings, inviting all the residents. On the menu–delicious spareribs with all the trimmings, sheet cakes for dessert, and a wide selection of beverages. With a small group of musicians adding to the festivities, it was a lovely event and a good opportunity to meet some of my new neighbors.

Most of the attendees seemed to be, shall we say, “in my age category.”  But lo and behold, a family with two young children arrived and then a maybe-30-something woman whose name I had seen on many packages in the mail room.  

It’s beginning to feel like a community…