A Quality-of-life Checklist

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Ways to go out of your mind: Modern society tends to imprison us in our heads, locked away from natural rhythms and a sense of spiritual wonder. Dance clubs, yoga studios, hiking trails, sports programs, and a relaxed pace of life can help us escape back into the realm of the senses and our bodies. A full platter of spiritual offerings—from high mass at a stately cathedral to impromptu meditation in a public garden—also remind us there’s more to the world than what’s rattling inside our brains.

The great American hangout: The spirit of community is measured not by the number of your friends, but by the number of your acquaintances—folks you’re not likely to invite over for dinner but with whom you enjoy an occasional chat. This explains the importance of bustling shopping streets, block parties, public squares, pool halls, parades, and other places to bump into people from all walks of life.

Lovable eccentrics: The sculptor whose medium is used baling wire. The world’s leading authority on Mr. Magoo cartoons. The old couple that spends five weeks decorating their yard for Halloween. People who have founded their own religions. You know the type.

Body and soul: Easy access to massage therapists, natural food stores, homeo-paths, tai chi classes, midwives, botanicas, archetypal therapy, and other holistic options, along with open-minded physicians and HMOs.

Safe streets: Violent crime claws at the soul of a place. Community policing, which involves citizens in the job of protecting their neighborhoods, not only lowers crime rates but also raises community spirit. And safe streets mean protecting us from traffic as well as muggers. Traffic calming and strict enforcement of driving laws give pedestrians a sense of peace.
Salute to the seasons: Solstice and equinox rituals. Singing-in-the-rain celebrations. May poles. Midnight swims on sweltering nights. Harvest festivals. Sledding parties.

Where the wild teens are: It’s a balancing act to maintain places where kids can feel boisterously on their own yet not be hidden away from the rest of society. Skateboard parks, all-ages music clubs, open gym programs, and the old malt shop are among the range of possibilities. A local rite of passage, like climbing the water tower or swooshing down the ski hill in your skivvies, also instills youngsters with a sense of belonging in the community.
Our inalienable right to walk: We Americans may love our cars, but that doesn’t mean we want to climb behind the wheel each time we venture out to buy a quart of milk. Everyone deserves to have a grocery, coffee shop, playground, hardware store, school, video rental, friend’s house, and Asian take-out restaurant within easy walking distance (or a manageable bike ride if you live in the country or outer suburbia).

Feisty local media: Let a thousand voices rise. Community radio stations. Competing locally owned daily newspapers. Competing locally owned alternative weeklies. A flowering of community-minded Web sites and neighborhood newspapers. Arts reviews, satire rags, zines galore.

Brightness at the edge of town: A definable spot where urban development ends and the countryside begins, ideally within easy reach of most households.

Graduate seminars in the meaning of life: Ample opportunities to keep learning, ranging from adult education classes and personal growth workshops to helpful reference librarians and lively barroom discussions.

A commitment to making sure the kids are alright: Children should figure in every decision made around town, from how neighborhoods are designed (sidewalks and crosswalks, please) to how our tax money is spent (playing fields instead of sports stadiums).

The sensuous city: The sound of street musicians and church bells. The smell of blossoms and bakeries. The sight of children playing and adults kissing. The taste of organic local vegetables and unpolluted tap water. The feel of the wind in your face and grass beneath your feet.

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