This week we walked through the neighborhood known for some as 'Eastwood' and for others 'Hollywood Square'. Hollywood Square is made up of the streets that run North and South from Wilton Ave. to Western Ave. between Hollywood Blvd and Franklin Ave. At the corner of Hollywood and Garfield sits a large vacant lot dark and fenced-in. Unfortunately competing interests in the community have never come to an agreement on what should be built here and so it sits empty and dark known only as an unsafe corner of the neighborhood. As neighbors along the walk described this conundrum it made me wonder, what process of listening do we have here? How have we let relationships reach a point of tension that we're willing to let a valuable piece of our community on so many levels sit as a dirt lot unused?I won't claim to understand fully the complexities and history of this debate but I want to challenge us to think about how we can have a deeper level of understanding for the 'other' perspective.
Perhaps... take a walk together?
I love the idea of these walks! I really do want to participate but I have class on Tuesday nights. I hope that when my schedule changes one day that I'll be able to join you all. It's a fantastic and simple way to meet our neighbors and get to know all the various issues facing our community. A great way to engage others for change.
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