As I sit here, only one week from moving downtown, I ponder what am I giving up?

My sanity? Nah. We live now in one of the best neighborhoods in Dubuque. Bradley street runs right along the Dubuque Golf and Country clubs golf course. The neighborhood is super quiet, hardly any traffic, and we have a great house with a fantastic yard. The neighborhood is so quietest that the kids can leave their bikes out side next to the street, and they never get touched.

Sure it is a sacrifice to move to one of the worst neighborhoods in Dubuque. Sure it is going to be hard. We will have no yard, nor even part of the house as our private getaway. The kids will finish out the last years of High School living on Loras Street.

But what am I really giving up? Sure the neighborhood where we are now is awesome, but in the 4 years we have lived there, I can't even tell you one name of anyone who lives in a block radius from us. I have yet to even see many of my neighbors outside. They all use lawn services, so even the grass gets cut by someone rather than my neighbor. I don't know any of them, not a single one. Sad isn't it.

Am I giving up peace and quiet? I live in a house where three teenagers already dominate the area with their 20 or more friends, coming and going.

On the flip side, whenever I go down to the location of the New Hope House, I have seen my new neighbors come out to greet me. They tell me how excited they are to have me move in next door, they offer me assistance in anything I need. They talk to me like they have already been living next to me for years. They invite us in, ask us to take their extras and treat us like we belong. I call this...Community!

So what am I giving up? I am trading a peaceful quiet nieghbohood for a community. One where they know my name, and they want to spend time with me. Where they are glad to see me, each time I appear.

Reminds me of the old theme song to that popular TV show:

"Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name."

So sure there are sacrifices, but for a community, it is worth it.

Cheers.

Kreg