Neighborhoods talk. If you slow down and listen, you’ll see there are no secrets. You can learn a lot just by watching. It’s about two miles to public transportation and I’m without wheels so I seize the moment and walk. The sun is right overhead—it’s too hot for comfort, and there is no shade in sight. Still, the unexpected walk is a welcomed break from the motorized seat of driving.
Here’s what I notice. All the houses have one of three things—a barred window, a fence, or a gate. I see dry baby pools sitting mostly inflated on the front lawn and empty potato chip bags stuffed into the body of a perfect cypress tree. Christmas tinsel frames a window on Memorial Day and dining room chairs sit squarely on porches. Empty wine bottles have found rest on well-trimmed lawns. This is a rough hood. The remnants of last night’s party are the only soundtrack of the streets.
Without warning, the neighborhood shifts. The transition from one world to the other is a crosswalk. Now the conversations of the neighbors come freely. Music plays. Kids whine. If you were driving by, you would come to a complete stop at the red sign. If you were walking, you’d enjoy the scented privacy of the flowering rosemary bush.
“What gives?” I found myself thinking. Why such a drastic change from one part of town to the other, separated by ten paces? And it made me think of how I treat things in my own life. When I want to feel uplifted, I take my time to prepare well. I iron my shirt. I wear a necklace. I spend longer in the shower, scrubbing, massaging, and caring for my body.
You are always treat yourself like royalty. This doesn’t mean being a snob or acting with entitlement, but recognizing that you have a very good situation. You come from somewhere. You are a lineage holder. Royalty is about creating space. It’s about being uplifted like a king or queen so that you can meet whatever comes with grace.
The houses on either side of that short divide weren’t all that different. It was how they were treated that made them separate. Where would you want to live?
Denmo is the founder and CEO of Earthbody. She is a writer, artist, therapist, and coach. You can reach Denmo here.
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