Many associations have similar and even much larger populations than do these local governments. In Chicago alone, there are numerous condominium “urban villages” with upwards of 600 units. If each unit was occupied by just two people, those 600-unit condominium “urban villages” would have populations larger than those of nearly half of Illinois’ local governments.


Human beings—whether living in condominium and ommon int inte est communities or not—don’t alw tthings through the same lens, ag ee with each other o


hings through the same lens, agrree with each other orr, bluntly put, get along.


Human beings—whether living in condominium and common


errest communities or not—don’t alwayss see see


bluntly put, get along. These challenges are exacerbated in condominium and common interest community “villages,” where residents live in close proximity, share common facilities, and are required to pay for things which they may not be particularly fond of, be it landscaping, lighting, or wall coverings. They may have neighbors on the other side of their walls, and perhaps above and below them. Neighbors traverse the halls or wander the grounds at all hours of the day and night. The sounds of celebrations, arguments, yapping dogs, insufferable music, and crying infants waft through the building systems directly into their home. Oversized inflatable toys clutter the surface of the swimming pool, animals don’t respect boundaries, people act boorishly in the clubhouse, and parking space boundaries aren’t respected.


While these perceived threats to collective contentment may be manageable, a more difficult challenge in condominium and common interest community “villages” is respecting and accepting diversity within the “village’s” population. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines diversity as “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements.” Diversity can be any quality that may differentiate one person from another—race, ethnicity, age, religious beliefs, political beliefs, languages spoken, other preferences and ideologies, or even strongly-held viewpoints on association governance and management. Even if association “villagers” tolerate these differences, tolerance is no substitute for acceptance. Accepting diversity means that instead of viewing differences in a negative way, differences are perceived as strengths, adding more zest to life in the “village,” and allowing everyone to contribute in unique ways. Accepting diversity may lead to the conclusion that it’s perhaps not always best to have the same types of people around us and that one can maintain their own values while respecting the differing values of others.


Consider these lyrics from “We’re All In This Together,” the popular song from the hit production “High School Musical,” performed by the entire school, including the jocks, the academically gifted, the painfully introverted, the skate dudes, the cheerleaders and the entire basketball team:


Everyone is special in their own way


We make each other strong (we make each other strong) We’re not the same


We’re different in a good way Together’s where we belong


Now that’s acceptance! But how to achieve such a common expression of solidarity in our association “villages,” especially in the throes of a nerve-wracking, wearying, emotion-draining and seemingly never-ending pandemic that has everyone on edge and poses unique and unprecedented risks to individuals living in close proximity? Let’s stretch our imaginations and look to Professor X, the fictional American comic book character.


Now that’s ac eptanc


Professor X is a member of a subspecies of humans known as mutants, who are born with superhuman abilities. He strives to serve a greater good by promoting peaceful coexistence and equality between humans and mutants in a world where anti-mutant bigotry is widespread. He advances a platform of uncompromising pacifism to see his dream to fruition—a dream that seeks to have mutants live harmoniously alongside humanity and desires full-fledged civil rights and equality for all mutants. He wanted to build a world where mutants and humans could live together in peace and sent a team out to stop evil mutants and to save humans, without ever showing superiority to them. Sadly, his was a dream that never came true due to the hatred and intolerance in the world, but he tried to be the true hero the mutant race needed.


IIt would be a st t would be a strretch, at best, and unkind, at worst, t ch, at best, and unkind, at worst, to l label abel


some who livsome who live in association “villages” as “mutants.”e in association “villages” as “mutants. Nonetheless, the story of Professor X and his “X-men” (and “X-women”) can be instructive. Simply put, look beneath the surface and don’t write someone off because they look or are in any other way different from us. Appreciate what others are made up of, and if they at first seem less superhuman than your inner mutant, that’s OK, because they likely have lots of other goodness about them. If this all seems overly altruistic, so be it. The objective, let’s remember, is to promote harmony and civility in our association “villages,” and that sometimes requires sacrifice and conscious effort.


10 | COMMON INTEREST®


• Summer 2021 • A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter


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