It all started with a not-so-simple question: “What could community look like if we thought in terms of decades-long relationships.” My son knew of a sociology professor at his college that had reoriented his life around this concept. He and his family had moved to within walking distance of the college and sold their second car. The idea was that instead of being spread thin in relationships through a bunch of different social settings, they would spend the vast majority of their time getting to know the people within a two block radius of their house in a much deeper and committed way.
This idea of focusing on long term friendships makes a lot of sense.