So, the girls and I were in Oceanside today.  In So Cal, we refer to Oceanside as O’side.  It’s a beach city just north of San Diego, very close to Camp Pendleton Marine base, and has long been know as a city full of gangs and crime.  Well, a lot of that has changed!  OK, it IS a military community, so you don’t get the same feel you would in other beach areas like Solana or La Jolla, but you do get a very good mix of every race you can think of.

We are not a military family, but we are diverse and enjoy being close to this particular beach for that very reason.  About 7 years ago, we bought a house there and our first daughter was born there as well.  We moved when she was 2, but will remember that particular neighborhood as the BEST neighborhood we’ve ever lived in.  The kind where you know everyone, not just like, “hello there neighbor Bob”, but you really know them.  And you LIKE them, which is even more important.  So happy hours and block parties were the norm and life was great!  I think mixes of races, cultures and socio-economic backgrounds are good for neighborhoods.  The tolerance level increases and the inclusion grows.

Since leaving Oceanside, we’ve lived in predominantly white neighborhoods.  Not saying they weren’t nice enough, or friendly enough, but the “love” wasn’t there.  We never had a connect like we did in Oceanside.  So, it got me thinking, it must be the diversity.  The acceptance value of living in a community with such a mix of culture that you simply accept your neighbor for who he is and love him anyway.  Could I be right?  I hope so, because we just moved into a city east of Oceanside, San Marcos.  And so far, it’s pretty diverse.  Not as much black, but plenty hispanic, asian and middle eastern.  So far, people have been very friendly, but we aren’t in love.

Maybe our housewarming party in a few weeks will tell us more.  Seems like most people we’ve met around here are pretty conservative.  We are not.  Quite a lot of religious folks too and again, we are not.  Maybe we’ll find some like minded people when we have them over to drink and eat.  That usually does the trick!