Volunteerism and community engagement is a passion some develop as they begin to interact with new and different individuals outside their normal circle of friends. These individuals are the people they see every day at the train station or at the schools and school activities their children attend and participate in. These individuals are the people that live on the same block, shop at the same supermarkets and frequent the eating establishments throughout Hicksville; individuals with whom we have more in common than meets the eye.

These days, it is not as common as it once was. Seniors today have a much better quality of life than the seniors of say 30 or 50 years ago; their life expectancies are greater and individual independence is stronger. Assisted living facilities have replaced traditional senior housing and many of our retiring baby boomers can expect to live well into their 80s and early 90s.

So what does this have to do with community engagement? Well, if our parents and /or siblings no longer live under the same roof with us, chances are they also live in a different community as well. They travel on different roads, attend different houses of worship and are challenged with different quality of life issues. They pay for different services, vote for different local leaders and shop in different stores. We may talk to them daily, weekly or monthly, but in most cases, we surely don't see them as much as we see the people in our own community. These are the communities in which our children make friendships, play sports and socialize; the commuters which we see every day standing at the local bus or train stop, members of whom receive the same services and vote for the same local leaders. We probably have more in common with those in the community in which we live than we have with our parents, siblings or friends who live elsewhere.

So why do we choose to maintain that protective barrier which restricts conversations and relationships to the train or bus ride back and forth to work; to the short period of time we chat with our neighbors while watching our children play; or to the limited conversations in the bleachers, halls or streets? Why do we choose to keep that distance which prevents meaningful social interaction? Are we afraid to hear an opinion different than ours? Are we afraid that someone may be smarter or better informed, or have we truly become an individualistic society which would rather watch people eat bugs while someone else worries about our community's problems?

I believe most of the people within our community understand and care about what's going on within it. They understand and see the effects it has in raising our children and living a comfortable, healthy life. They care about the quality of life issues such as illegal housing and its effects on our school systems. They care about the unsightliness of poorly maintained properties whether they be commercial or residential. They care about health issues, safety, traffic, property values and taxes. They care about a lot of things, but are told many different things from many different people. I feel they care and want to help but just don't know how or where to begin.

If you're one of those people and live south of Old Country Road and east of Jerusalem in the Hamlet of Hicksville, come down to our next meeting, bring a friend and introduce yourself. Tell us that you're a Hicksville resident or homeowner and you care. We'll show you what you can do and how you can do it. You may be surprised to find out how much power "we the people" really have.

The Hicksville Gardens Civic Association's next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hicksville Public Library's Kenneth Barnes Community Room. The topic of discussion will be illegal housing and what we as a community can do to help the town and county to combat this critical issue. John Paider from the Town of Oyster Bay's Illegal Housing Division will guide the discussions.

Henry A. Goessmann

HenryPresident, Hicksville Gardens Civic Association