Just moved to Bedstuy, a mostly black neighborhood. At risk of idealizing a culture that isn’t my own, I have never lived in a place that feels more open to interaction

In most parts of town it feels like ppl ignore their surroundings and the space between individuals is a psychic void

In contrast, some experiences I’ve had here in the first few days: • Just now: Two women were playing w kids by dousing them w a water bucket. I jokingly said “do me!” and they chased me down the street. I thought I’d escaped them, so I started walking normally. Then I turned around when I heard giggling. They’d snuck up on me. I dodged the incoming by water but they still got my backside. Walked around with a goofy grin after • Some ppl were casually dancing with a speaker in the street. I joined them for a few seconds on my way to coffee • A couple women were gossiping at the cafe. I nonchalantly tuned in while continuing to eat my lunch. Somehow they noticed, and the both turned to me laughing, like I was in on the drama

It’s kind of like I’m actually in a society vs in a city where other bodies happen to be around

I feel like Good Liberals aren’t supposed to publicly admire other cultures in this way. I acknowledge the dangers of projection/stereotyping/fetishizing. But it seems like this implicit prohibition actually just propagates marginalization, just more passively, through distancing and making-foreign