When people could disagree but still be friends

The Farm Manager was just taking me down her memory lane, where she was growing up on a leafy street in a two-story red brick a couple blocks away from the main street of Owen Sound.

She recalls a time when, during election season, there were a variety of campaign signs on her block. Not every house sported a sign, but they were much more prevalent then. You'd see PC, Liberal, and NDP signs cheek to jowl. 

Yet the neighbourhood was in no way torn asunder by varying political affiliations. Neighbours were friends with neighbours, whatever the the signs might have suggested. They socialized and minded one another's children. 

The neighbourhoods in those days had a different kind of diversity. The FM recalls they were the only Jewish family on the block. Her Dad had a clothing store and furrier business in the downtown. Other downtown merchants lived in the neighbourhood too. 

There was also the doctor across the road, and the electrician who worked at RBW next door. That's a big league printing plant that used to do everything from Readers Digest to Time magazine. Now they mostly do advertising flyers.

Indeed! 

Doctors, lawyers, furriers, merchants, factory guys, all lived on the same street!

Their kids went to the same schools and befriended one another.

In spite of the differing lawn signs, they'd all show up at the neighbourhood summer BBQ and get along.

Those days are gone.