A daily adventure full of intrigue.

My immediate neighborhood can be looked at as a microcosm of the world. As if each of us (the collection of my neighbors) represents a country. Our own often little and peculiar feifdom. Our home/castle, so to speak. We're a blend of competing personal interests. In many ways. For instance, some of us want our ways. No matter what. Even at the expense of other neighbors. And so to get our way, we often seek power. Political power. With local officials. Wealth can make a difference. Yes, he with the moola generally has the advantage. The owner of a $4.5 million mansion carries far more political clout than the owner of a $500,000 domicile. In my neighborhood. The rich get away with breaking rules. For example, rules pertaining to how much of one's land can become non-pourous surface. The owner of the mansion is allowed to cover far more than the owner of a lesser-valued property. It's the way of the world. And in the U.S., at least, the pattern almost always begins on the neighborhood level. Working it's way up. Living close together involves all sorts of issues. Many of 'em petty. Such as whether one's lawn should be 'properly' mowed. Or whether a particular style house should be allowed. Or how many trees and what kinds to grow. Yes, it's different tastes for different folks. But some neighbors/countries don't like what others do. In many cases, they object to or discourage or block the proliferation of trees. Prefering look-alike, well-manicured lawns. And a clear view. A certain sameness. Neighbors even become expert at keeping out certain types of people. People of lesser incomes or certain ethnics. They don't want diversity. Thinking it might hurt the high-falutin image of the neighborhood. There's some degree of that in my neighborhood, I suspect. And in many other neighborhoods. To a much larger degree. That's where discrimination begins. On the local level. In neighborhoods. On your block. And my block. Don't exactly know what I can do about it. The world is what it is. But hey, I'm on a mission. Trying to learn more about the ways of world. Especially in my little niche. And believe me, it's a fascinating experience. A daily adventure. Full of intrigue. --Jim Broede