The Redemption of Suburbia: A Re-connection and Re-integration
Danny Peterson

In AA and in Catholic Spirituality a big part of "healing" has to do with "connection and integration". In AA, they claim that one must have their "inner-connection" to be able to be sober, joyful and peaceful. As an example, senior year of college, I had NO CLUE who I was, or who anyone was for that matter. I was completely lost and disconnected from everthing and everyone including myself.

This makes sense to me. AA, catholic spirituality, and Dr. Mango all say that we must be "connected" with 1. God 2. Ourselves and 3. Others (community). You can take this further and claim that we must be connected with our past, to avoid disconnects, indetity confusion etc.

Over the past few months, I have felt very connected with God and with myself(more on this in different blogs). I have had a renewed experienced with community (AA groups, my living situation etc) but I havent had a full integraton with community yet- I still felt in the periphery, yes yes? But last weekend, it happend. I was at mass and I had this transcenant feeling, that could not be better described as "connection" or "integration". I was in a good mood, so the feeling was emotion-based but it was powerful nontheless. I looked around at the St. Helen community (which I love more and more as time goes on) and I felt such a sense of belonging. It wasn't simply acceptance, it was more...it was belonging. I felt as though I was a part of the mystical body of Christ.

Then, yesterday I went to a 6th grade football game. It was a kid from my group whose parents I know very well. I have become good friends with them and they invited me there. It was a very interesting experience, because again I felt more fully integrated. It was at this game that I realized that the Lord redeems all things for us- even the small ones.
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The Redemption of Suburbia

I have some very positive perceptions of suburban america, but for the most part they are overshadowed by the negative ones. The first negative perspective, and this is unrelated to my reflection, is that it is a place of waste, extravagance, and wealth. It is a place where wealthy people live in peace and forget about everything else in the world. This isnt my exact view, but it is a perspective...this is irrelevant at the moment.

My "negative view" or "Small Story" (Eldredge) of suburbia is very distorted. For me, after childhood (age 12) Suburbia became the setting for the "play". The play of debauchery and confusion. Like so many things (swimming pools, certain music, rivers, decks) the essence of suburbia became intertwined in my vaste adolescent bewilderment. It became something it wasn't. After all, what is it?

In my own experience with St. Helens and Westfield (textbook suburban town), and through my healing process of re-connection, and re-integration, suburbia is being restored to what it is meant to be: nothing more then a word that describes the way of life in the Suburbs. This is much more relaxing. I'm glad that I'm not attributing false perceptions, essences and associations to words that don't deserve it.