How Frisbee Brought the Neighborhood Together

Yesterday, I pulled into my driveway after having dropped Heiko off at the airport--business trip to New York. In lonely, slow strides I walked to my front door wondering what to do for the evening. I noticed that the neighbor kids were lounging around on their front porch. They looked bored too and I know that their mom works mid-nights. It's a tough schedule to deal with when you have to be quiet all of the time. I know because my Dad worked midnights when I was a kid.
Kazmir had played frisbee with Heiko and I once before in the evening with our light-up disc. So, I thought \"ok, why not.\" I went inside and grabbed my frisbees (I have three) and headed across the street.
As soon as I said, \"wanna play?\" he jumped to his feet and ran inside to get his \"new\" shoes--which he quickly pointed out to me.
It's been such a hot and humid summer here on the \"edge\" of Detroit (we live just under a mile from the city border. A lot of artists are congregating here). I was sweating like crazy as we ran around the street leaping after the frisbee: on neighbors' lawns, over the curbs, dodging parked cars, keeping watch for moving cars... Soon my other neighbors came home--husband and wife bartenders--and joined in our game! I've been wanting to get to know them better ever since we moved to Ferndale in late April. Thank goodness for Scott's climbing skills, because when one of the discs got stuck in the tree he was quick to climb to the top to retrieve it. Kazmir and I were very impressed by this heroic act. A few times we had to bother the two households across the street to fetch our disc from the other side of the fence in their backyard. Nobody seemed to mind.
Mostly built in the 30's and 40's, the houses are close together and the street is narrow. Our neighborhood is generally quiet with exception of a few divers who choose to share their music with everyone around, the dog-walkers, bikers and joggers. Most people pull into their driveways and hide out in the backyard or are inside with air conditioners whirrrrring and computer and television screens humming.

---The games came to an end as our third-grader friend wandered home and then we cooled off on the patio with ice cold drinks. My neighbors and I shared our first meal together as the night fell and the cicadas began to sing in the tree-tops. \"I've lived here 5-years and haven't hung out with any neighbors. But today I met 3 or 4 all at once!\" said Scott. Plans for a block party are in the works!