The Real Difference Between a Neighborhood and a Community

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Have you ever wondered if there's a difference between where we live and how we live together? That's the question at the heart of this thought-provoking episode that challenges our understanding of community in modern life.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
All right, family, I have a question for you Is there
a difference between where welive and how we live together?
Are we forming true communitiesor just occupying neighborhoods
?
All right Right, all right,peace, family, I hope that

(00:28):
you're feeling well and blessed.
Today You're tuning in to thesound of the Only One Mike
podcast, mike Drops Show, wherewe break down today's biggest
moves in culture and communitythrough conversations that
matter.
I'm your host, carl Gerard, andI appreciate you locking in
with me, rod, and I appreciateyou locking in with me, whether
you've been following everyepisode or this is your first
time.
Tuning in this space is abouttruth, clarity and conversations

(00:49):
that truly matter.
I'm not here to tell you whatto think, family.
I'm just here to lay it out foryou, all right, so let's talk
about it.
We're going to break down aconcept that feels simple, but
it's got layers community versusneighborhood.
So I want you to really walkwith me on this one and ask
yourself am I living in aneighborhood or am I a part of a

(01:13):
community?
Now, at first glance, it mightsound like the same thing houses
, people, maybe even a blockparty every now and then.
But when you start to peel itback.
It's a whole different vibe.
So let's break this down.
A community is a bond.
A neighborhood is a place.
You see, in a neighborhood youmight know someone's name.
In a community you know theirstory.

(01:34):
In a neighborhood, folks mightwave at each other but keep it
moving.
In a community we check on eachother, we build, we show up
when it matters and in aneighborhood it's just like a
proximity.
But a community, that's apurpose and it doesn't always
come easy.
So let's see what it is that.
You know, eat food, feelrelaxed, feel comfortable.

(01:56):
You know you went to yourfriends' houses.
They came to your house.
It was a family.
I lived in a building and youknow, in that building it wasn't
just like my neighbor next doorin the other apartment kept to
themselves and didn't botheranybody.

(02:17):
They knew my family, you knowthey came from that same era, so
they knew what it took to betogether.
Even though we were all fromdifferent cultures, we still
looked at each other.
As you know, aunts and uncles,grandparents, children we all
seen each other as one bigfamily in that building.
So a community takes effort.
It means being vulnerable, itmeans being accountable, it

(02:41):
means sometimes giving more thanyou take and trusting that
it'll come back around.
So I got to ask you again,really ask yourself are you
living next to people or are youliving with people?
Now, family, let's startbuilding more community, not
just neighborhoods with Wi-Fiand matching trash cans.
Whether you talk to yourneighbors, share a meal, support
the youth in your area, show upat a school board meeting,

(03:04):
organize a community cleanup,host a back to school drive or
simply just look out for oneanother, that's what community
is.
That's what we talk about.
When we speak about community,we're talking about shared
history, unspoken protection,cultural rhythm and a village
mindset.
A neighborhood might be wherepeople live, but a community is
where people belong, and itisn't something you buy into,

(03:25):
guys.
It's something you build brickby brick, person by person, love
by love.
If this resonate with you,share it guys.
Talk to someone who needs tohear it, spark a conversation on
your block.
And if you're already buildingyour community where you are,
salute to you.
Keep doing the work.
I'm telling you because,because it pays off.
We see, like now, with a lot ofyoung people, I had a um

(03:48):
conversation today with like auh, a city councilwoman and we
were talking about communitiesand all this would kind of spark
this conversation right here isthe fact that, especially with
our younger people, we came upin the era the councilwoman and
I we came up in an era thecouncilwoman and I we came up in
an era where, again, yourneighbors, your community,
looked out for you, so youdidn't see a lot of the things

(04:11):
that you saw today.
We, as youngsters, had a lotmore respect for our elders
because of community, becausewhat we built, and what it is,
is that I know that Ms So-and-soor Mr So-and-so was going to be
in good with my parents.
So if I was out of pocket inany form or fashion, my parents

(04:33):
would know they would get on meand then let my parents know who
would then get on me again.
You know what I mean.
Even the people, that was, youknow, the criminals in the
neighborhood, the drug dealers,whatever it is.
Whatever they were doing, thatwas not right, whether they were
just hanging on the corner allthe time drinking, smoking,
whatever they were doing.
The community portion is we'redoing that, but we're not going

(04:55):
to allow you to do that as a kid.
You know I'm not going to sithere and crack a beer with this
guy.
I'm not going to share a bluntwith this guy when he knows my
parents and he knows whatthey're about and he knows my
siblings and he know whatthey're about not going to lead
you down the wrong path.
So you know, we have to reallystart getting that community
mindset, and especially when wetalk about saving our youth and

(05:16):
stopping the violence and thingslike that, all All that comes
with building community.
So ask yourself again are youin a neighborhood or are you a
part of a community?
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Be sure to check out ourYouTube channel to catch up on

(05:37):
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So salute to the newsubscribers.
I want to applaud you guys.
Thank you.
Thank you for those who hit mysubscribe Actually having
discussions in the commentsabout these topics, because this

(05:59):
is what this show the mic dropsare about.
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(06:20):
Call or text us at 302-367-7219.
And your voice, your questions,your take could be featured on
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Like I said, guys, please sharethis one, even if you don't
share the episode.
Step to your neighbors, havethe conversation, guys, because
we got to start buildingcommunity.
The Only One Mic Podcast CarlGirard signing off Peace.