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One day I decided to plant a garden in our backyard, and my husband began to paint our weathered fence. We’re renters, not owners, and were growing tired of waiting for the day when we would be able to buy something, so we began turning our house into a place we could call home.
But it’s not just our house that we’ve become committed to—it’s our neighborhood and our neighbors, not to mention our city. The more people we get to know here and the more friends we make, the more we grow interested in local politics and come to care about what happens to our community. For example, a newspaper article about the future of dog parks in our city means something more to us now that we use those parks and have friends that value and enjoy them as well.
We’ve also taken on new responsibilities: I started volunteering at the city’s animal shelter, and my husband has been volunteering for a nonprofit art gallery. Being involved in this way has given each of us an increased sense of purpose and strengthened our ties to the place we live.
But it’s not just the things that you can add to your resume that matter. I’m happy to be able to help out an elderly woman I see struggling with her bag. I know I’ve done something good when I knock on a neighbor’s door and let her know her car lights are still on. I feel I’ve done my part when I find a lost dog wandering in the neighborhood and return him to his relieved owner.
No doubt it works the other way, too. As we come to care about the place we live, the people here grow to know and care about us. It feels good to know that when we’re out of town, our neighbors are picking up our mail and keeping an eye on our house for us. It makes me smile when my husband and I go to our favorite Indian restaurant just across the bridge, and the owner already knows what I’ll be ordering. I’m excited when I see that new trees have been planted on our street by people in our neighborhood. We 1)beam with delight when a neighbor congratulates us on my pregnancy.
This 2)symbiotic relationship we’re building with our community is exciting and inspiring. As I watch new life sprouting up in my garden, I think about all the possibilities for laying down more roots to this place and growing along with it—other projects I’ll undertake, other neighbors I will get to know, the friendships we will cultivate. And as I think about the baby growing in my 3)womb, I am 4)elated knowing we will be bringing a new person—a new participant—into this community, a community he’ll call his hometown.
一天，我决定在我们的后院里栽种花木，建一个花园，而我的丈夫开始给我们那因日晒雨淋而褪色的栅栏刷上油漆。我们是这套房子的租客，不是房主，但我们越来越厌倦等待有钱买房的那天到来，于是我们开始把这套房子变成我们可以称之为“家”的地方。
但我们不仅仅对租来的房子投入了感情，还融入到周围的街区和邻居们当中，对于我们所在的这座城市，我们更是以心相许。我们在这里认识的人以及结交的朋友越多，我们就越是对本地的政治感兴趣，越是关心我们社区里发生的事情。比如，我们格外关心一篇关于我们这座城市未来的遛狗公园的新闻报道，因为我们会去那些公园，而且我们有朋友同样重视这些公园，享受它们带来的乐趣。
我们也承担了新的职责：我开始在市里的动物庇护所里当志愿者，我丈夫也一直在一个非营利性的艺廊当义工。用这种方式参与到这座城市里增强了我们每个人的使命感，巩固了我们和我们所居住的地方的联系。
然而并不是唯有像做义工这种可以作为工作经验写进简历的事情才是重要的。当我看见一个老妇人艰难地拎着包，我很开心自己能够去帮助她；当我敲开邻居的门告诉她，她的车灯忘了熄，我知道我做了一件好事；当我在家附近发现一只迷路的狗在外游荡，并把它归还给如释重负的狗主人时，我感觉自己尽到了作为这社区一份子的职责。
当然，这些行为也给我们带来了回报。随着我们开始关心我们所居住的社区，这里的人们也开始了解和关心我们。我们在外地时，邻居会帮我们接收信件、照看门户，那种感觉真的很好。当我和丈夫在桥对岸那间我们最喜欢的印度餐馆落座，而店主就已经知道我将点什么东西吃时，我总会欣然微笑；当看见街坊们在我们房子坐落的街道上栽种新树木，我会很兴奋；当一位邻居为我怀孕的事祝贺我们夫妇时，我们会眉开眼笑。
我们和我们的社区建立起来的这种共生的关系，让我们备感兴奋和鼓舞。当我看着我的花园里萌发出来的新生命，我想到如果我们在这个地方扎下更多的根并和这个地方一起成长的所有可能性——我会开展其他计划，我将认识其他邻居，我们将结下友谊。当我想着正在我子宫里成长着的宝宝时，我心怀喜悦地意识到我们正在把一个新人——一个新的参与者——带到这个他将称之为“家园”的社区里。
But it’s not just our house that we’ve become committed to—it’s our neighborhood and our neighbors, not to mention our city. The more people we get to know here and the more friends we make, the more we grow interested in local politics and come to care about what happens to our community. For example, a newspaper article about the future of dog parks in our city means something more to us now that we use those parks and have friends that value and enjoy them as well.
We’ve also taken on new responsibilities: I started volunteering at the city’s animal shelter, and my husband has been volunteering for a nonprofit art gallery. Being involved in this way has given each of us an increased sense of purpose and strengthened our ties to the place we live.
But it’s not just the things that you can add to your resume that matter. I’m happy to be able to help out an elderly woman I see struggling with her bag. I know I’ve done something good when I knock on a neighbor’s door and let her know her car lights are still on. I feel I’ve done my part when I find a lost dog wandering in the neighborhood and return him to his relieved owner.
No doubt it works the other way, too. As we come to care about the place we live, the people here grow to know and care about us. It feels good to know that when we’re out of town, our neighbors are picking up our mail and keeping an eye on our house for us. It makes me smile when my husband and I go to our favorite Indian restaurant just across the bridge, and the owner already knows what I’ll be ordering. I’m excited when I see that new trees have been planted on our street by people in our neighborhood. We 1)beam with delight when a neighbor congratulates us on my pregnancy.
This 2)symbiotic relationship we’re building with our community is exciting and inspiring. As I watch new life sprouting up in my garden, I think about all the possibilities for laying down more roots to this place and growing along with it—other projects I’ll undertake, other neighbors I will get to know, the friendships we will cultivate. And as I think about the baby growing in my 3)womb, I am 4)elated knowing we will be bringing a new person—a new participant—into this community, a community he’ll call his hometown.
一天，我决定在我们的后院里栽种花木，建一个花园，而我的丈夫开始给我们那因日晒雨淋而褪色的栅栏刷上油漆。我们是这套房子的租客，不是房主，但我们越来越厌倦等待有钱买房的那天到来，于是我们开始把这套房子变成我们可以称之为“家”的地方。
但我们不仅仅对租来的房子投入了感情，还融入到周围的街区和邻居们当中，对于我们所在的这座城市，我们更是以心相许。我们在这里认识的人以及结交的朋友越多，我们就越是对本地的政治感兴趣，越是关心我们社区里发生的事情。比如，我们格外关心一篇关于我们这座城市未来的遛狗公园的新闻报道，因为我们会去那些公园，而且我们有朋友同样重视这些公园，享受它们带来的乐趣。
我们也承担了新的职责：我开始在市里的动物庇护所里当志愿者，我丈夫也一直在一个非营利性的艺廊当义工。用这种方式参与到这座城市里增强了我们每个人的使命感，巩固了我们和我们所居住的地方的联系。
然而并不是唯有像做义工这种可以作为工作经验写进简历的事情才是重要的。当我看见一个老妇人艰难地拎着包，我很开心自己能够去帮助她；当我敲开邻居的门告诉她，她的车灯忘了熄，我知道我做了一件好事；当我在家附近发现一只迷路的狗在外游荡，并把它归还给如释重负的狗主人时，我感觉自己尽到了作为这社区一份子的职责。
当然，这些行为也给我们带来了回报。随着我们开始关心我们所居住的社区，这里的人们也开始了解和关心我们。我们在外地时，邻居会帮我们接收信件、照看门户，那种感觉真的很好。当我和丈夫在桥对岸那间我们最喜欢的印度餐馆落座，而店主就已经知道我将点什么东西吃时，我总会欣然微笑；当看见街坊们在我们房子坐落的街道上栽种新树木，我会很兴奋；当一位邻居为我怀孕的事祝贺我们夫妇时，我们会眉开眼笑。
我们和我们的社区建立起来的这种共生的关系，让我们备感兴奋和鼓舞。当我看着我的花园里萌发出来的新生命，我想到如果我们在这个地方扎下更多的根并和这个地方一起成长的所有可能性——我会开展其他计划，我将认识其他邻居，我们将结下友谊。当我想着正在我子宫里成长着的宝宝时，我心怀喜悦地意识到我们正在把一个新人——一个新的参与者——带到这个他将称之为“家园”的社区里。