To my fellow residents,
Sometimes I honk my horn.
Sometimes I honk the horn of my car when driving through neighbourhoods around the time that people eat dinner.
I honk my horn early in the evening, in the last hours of daylight and watch little faces appear in the windows, peering after the sound.
What was it that disturbed their calm existence?
I do this because I recall when I was a child, rushing to the window at the sound of a passing train or horn or a knock at the door. My siblings by my side, we rushed to the window. The spell of our safe little home was disturbed for a moment and the outside world would flash back into memory.
What was going ON out there anyways!? Four little faces, peering into the night consumed with the question. Side by side we would wonder at the dimming eve.
The spell of that safe place of the side-by-side wonder is the same one we find here at Atangard. We live wrapped in a blanket we have all taken part in weaving a part of. And just like the warmth of the blanket, can we begin to take it all for granted.
Walking through our downtowns streets these nights makes it only too clear how many near here could even use just a blanket let a long one woven by a community founded in sharing the load in love. It’s the moments when our peace is disturbed that can we find the deepest realizations of the bond that we hold between us all.
When the power snaps out, and we emerge from our corners.
When the fire bell rings and we’re thrust into the night
When a housemate is left hanging in a severely weakened state after a night of heavy dancing and could really just benefit from you making a extra omelette for them when you prepare your breakfast,
When the dryer kicks out for two months at the same time the weather turns to fall, and we all must navigate our drying racks and heaters in solidarity on the way to our beds or pilgrim down to the laundromat until the new part for the machine comes in.
We often stand wondering in unison at what has affected us, but the spirit of this place is to be side by side realizing what is is that we have and building the bond that we share.
That’s why I honk my horn.
That’s why I honk the horn of my car when driving through neighbourhoods around the time that people eat dinner.
I honk my horn early in the evening, in the last hours of daylight and watch little faces appear in the windows, peering after the sound because I want to be a part of making those memories, forming those bonds, and giving someone something to remember about. I want to be a part of that and that why I honk my horn, and that’s why I rush out of my room when the power snaps out, and when the dinner bell rings. I honk my horn because
we,
live here.
and others should too.
Love,
Mitch
A letter, recited at the Atangard Christmas Party on December 9th, 2018.