Tymika Hawthorne
"Be Nosey!" exhorted Tymika Hawthorne, a resident of the Martin Drive neighborhood when we interviewed her. Hawthorne was not encouraging people to be inquisitive in ways that may invade others’ privacy; on the contrary, she was encouraging us to look out for our neighbors. She was advocating a culture of caring that would bind members of this residential community in enduring ways. Her philosophy of life is simple and direct: she desires that her neighbors could come together, grow, and become more well-informed in the process.
Hawthorne has been leading by example. She attends neighborhood meetings at the nearby Harley Davidson campus punctually. She is never absent in neighborhood watch meetings at Phyllis Reitter’s home. She signs up for neighborhood clean-ups and participates in the neighborhood watch duties. Ms. Hawthorne and her spouse Kenneth, share a belief that the only way to grow as a community is to involve and encourage younger kids and members of the new generation of residents to become part of something productive and positive. The Hawthornes have only lived in the Martin Drive neighborhood for a short time but they have actively contributed to the betterment of this community. As renters, the Hawthornes take immense pride in their home—designing, decorating, and carefully organizing the interiors. They have taken care of the neighborhood too, by doing landscaping for their neighbors and tending the yards of properties that are currently unoccupied. Their consideration for their neighbors extends to Ms. Phyllis Reitter and the Hawthornes have been offering to hold some of the community meetings at there own home to lessen the burden on Ms. Reitter. Tymika Hawthorne, interviewed by Hyrom Stokes and Damir McCurty, June 2015 |
|