We have arrived at summer and the rite of passage is an activity called the Block Party. It is that time of year when we can visit a microcosm of the cultural conscience of communities and neighborhoods. The uniqueness and traditions which surround block parties are as genuine and timeless as the world itself and derive from the never ending desire of people to showcase their contributions along the life journey they make.

The term "Block Party" evokes a celebration in a milieu of cultural pride. No matter where we live there is undoubtedly a social class or tradition stated, and I love this expression "came over from the old country."

Everything European, eastern or western, is old, I guess, and so are the traditions which made their way to the streets and neighborhoods we live in. In Europe there is a drama of human spectacle with solemn processions, the running of the bulls, etc. Here we see running with statues, bonfires and fireworks, all bringing us together in a phenomenon that would rival any black hole observed in quantum physics. A swirling eddy of living traditions steeped in rich action, then celebrated with foods that give identity to who we are and from whence we came.

The Block Party, rife with the teeming amenities of heritage and exhibitionism, would pale into obscurity without its human ingredient. Like the foods it offers, the diversity of personalities found in the event makes participation delightful to the senses, as your spirit awakens to the experience. Dialogue and scenes play out, as if in a movement of a symphony, human notes scored on the pages of streets combining to entertain and uplift, offering fleeting moments of engagement before being supplanted by an exhilarating memory. I imagine a reflection of life itself in the celebration of a block party. It is an occasion that allows a part of us to stand up and say "this is who I am, and these are the legacies I celebrate and the people with whom I share them."

Time has taken its toll on block parties. Political correctness has doomed most to nomenclature that is less culturally specific, while at the same time suggesting more universal appeal. Insurance underwriters have stemmed traditional activities associated with block parties in an effort to reduce liability while adding to the cost of providing services.

Outside contractors are now furnishing food and entertainment once carried out by the sponsor for the sole purpose of raising money for his or her cause. The personality of the block party has lost its personhood, because the persons who would support it can no longer identify with it.

The fabric of all human life is woven in the inheritance of its traditions. The things which make us what we are more than can be recorded in economic classifications or statistics—they are inherited and educational characteristics which give us the tools and the incentive to be better people. Block parties celebrate who we are and I, for one, will be sorry to see them fade into history.

Tom McCall