From the April - May  2001 Edition 

In Spite of Ourselves…   By Sunny Schlenger   In my lifetime, I’ve done quite a number of things in spite of myself, including my most notable – writing the book ‘How To Be Organized In Spite of Yourself’.  But I would say that one of my most surprising “in spite of myselfs” was moving to Fair Lawn 23 years ago, and discovering that I didn’t want to leave. I was born and bred in Baltimore, Maryland, and consider myself more of a southern girl at heart. I moved to Jersey after two years of graduate school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. After renting for 2 years in Paramus, I bought a house in the Radburn section of Fair Lawn, and it’s here I’ve stayed through all the changes that living in a (relatively) small town can bring. Yes, stores have opened and closed, highways have twisted around and expanded, neighbors have departed for foreign shores. But you know what hasn’t changed at all? The people – the residents. Call me Pollyanna if you will, but my experiences with the people in Fair Lawn have been continually pleasant and supportive. Which is not to say that I’m happy with everyone all of the time, particularly when I’m battling shoppers before snowstorms, but basically I’ve found that the people here are good. Maybe you get what you expect to find, but it certainly works for me. From the dry cleaners to the jewelry store, the gas station to the bakery, the camera shop to the hair salon – folks generally make an effort to smile through their frustrations and deliver the kind of service that makes small-town living rewarding. Sure, I’ll go to the malls, and cruise 4 & 17 when I have to, but I’ve always been one to prefer the personal touch, and the physical closeness of the things I need on a regular basis. There will be problems wherever you go, and we all know that. Basically, the best you can hope for is that residents will opt to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. But what I love most about getting to know the people of Fair Lawn is discovering the level of caring that occurs when push comes to shove. I’ll never forget the winter a few years back when our block was frozen solid from an icy water main break, and everyone pitched in to make sure that all of us were OK. We got to know each other at an entirely new level, and celebrated our accomplishments with a wonderful block party that spring. We’ll always need the movers and shakers who work for the good of us all, but let’s not forget that each one of us plays a part, even when we can only manage to stand graciously in overly long lines, and not take out our frustrations on overwhelmed salespeople (and vice versa). What goes around, comes around. I believe that the spirit of community is alive and well in Fair Lawn, in spite of all that might be done differently, or better. And I'd like to share through this column ways in which we can, and do, enjoy ourselves in the moment, wherever we find ourselves to be. We can always learn to make the best of circumstances, at the same time we try to improve them.   For more information about Sunny, see:  www.SunCoach.com     What Do You Think?: Send an e- mail to editor@fairlawnnews.com or post a message on the Fair Lawn News Discussion Forum.