America's camaraderie.....by Jamil Shawwa

I have to admit that before coming to America, I never felt of the so-called camaraderie. Probably it is my fault and not the fault of the area that I came from. However, as years go by and with no one telling you what you need to do or feel, as an American you have to feel the community that you live in, the camaraderie, the sense that you belong here and that you need to contribute and give back to the neighborhood that you live in, the state you reside in and the country that under it's flag you feel and breath freedom. This morning was a very small yet grande in it is meaning of what camaraderie means. we have been in Washington DC and the suburbs under snow blizzards for over 4 days, the city and the state are overwhelmed, they can not come by and plow the snow from the resident areas yet, they must and should start by the main streets, highways, and interstates, highways that connect the good old USA. Today, the neighbors started to clean up the street themselves, one neighbor had a little Deere tractor, the other had a snow removal machine, and they just started paving the way not for themselves only but for the whole neighbors. We are around 12 houses in this street that has been blocked by the snow from the main street that connect us with the outside world. I have to say that it was not my initiative, I just followed the lead, and I could not set still at home, watch my neighbors cleaning up the miss for all of us, and do nothing, though it was tempting to do nothing and stay warm in this weather. I was driven maybe by example but really, I wanted to help, I felt empowered when I went out there- with my shovel- in the cold and sweat it out. I felt that this is my neighborhood, my city, my state and my country and I have to give back to the good old USA even in a tiny tiny little thing.