I was just reading a news article in the Waco Trib about the city council passing a new ordinace that should result in more sidewalks in new subdivisions. Hooray!

That just got me thinking really about the way it used to be (well, at least in the neighborhood where I grew up). All these new subdivisions going in now-a-days seem to be lacking a few things. Sidewalks being on them. I can understand that it costs more money to install sidewalks and some homeowners may want more front yard than having a sidewalk taking up space, but I tend to think if you ask, most people would say they would want sidewalks vs. more front yard.

Doesn’t it seem that neighborhoods with sidewalks “feel” more friendly? I know times have changed and people don’t go outside as much anymore, but driving down a residential street lined with sidewalks, it just feels good. I guess you could say, having sidewalks is like “Leave it to Beaver-ish”. Okay, maybe I’m just a big weirdo, but don’t you think it rings at least a little true?

It’s funny how times always change. I was talking about this very thing with my wife just a few days ago. We were driving through our neighborhood (no sidewalks) and I noticed that for such a nice day (Saturday, Sunny, and 78 degress), there was NO ONE outside! When I was growing up a lot of people were outside on the weekends. People sitting on their front porches or in their front yards, kids playing soccer, or hide-n-seek, or cops & robbers, or tag, or whatever! But this past weekend, our neighborhood was like a ghost town, almost eerie like.

Of course, I’m sure there are plenty of reasons for folks to stay inside these days. When I was a kid, we only had 4 channels to choose from on TV and now there’s what, like 400? No one had computers (let alone the internet) in their homes back then either. Video games weren’t any good and It seemed to be a little safer era too. I mean, there’s just more to do inside the home these days. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised with two income families so prevailent these days, more weekends are spent cleaning the inside of a home than sitting outside in front of it (visiting with neighbors). I guess it’s just they way society (we) have become. A little more protective of our privacy, no need to feel like we should know our neighbors, etc…

I’m sure that installing sidewalks won’t make everyone friendlier or get folks to know their neighbors or inspire kids to do all the fun stuff I did as a child: playing soccer, football, hide-n-seek, tag, etc. But hey, passing a new sidewalk ordinace….it could be a step in the right direction!