Keep Sense of Community Alive in 2018

To the Editor: 
I can hardly believe it is winter of 2017. The days go by fast but it seems, as I age, the years are going by faster. 
I am reflecting on my childhood in Cape May County. I lived there from birth until the age of 29. My entire family still resides in the county, including my grandmother, who is now approaching 90.
Growing up, I always felt such a strong sense of community. Everyone helped each other no matter what was going on in their lives.
I watched my father pull over while driving, more times than I can count, to help someone in need. I saw our “firehouse family” helping during hurricanes, floods, and even in the simplest of times like gathering toys for Christmas.
What is the definition of community? Per my Google search, it is a “feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”
Why am I writing about this? The longer I live, the more I see this word disappearing. Everyone is out for themselves, stepping on each other in order to get ahead, crushing dreams and businesses for a chance to better themselves as an individual.
I see people who have lived in “communities” for their entire lives, given their soul to that community, and in the end, at the point of life where retirement should be an option; they are being dragged into the mud so that a younger generation can start to take advantage of the community that has been built. I don’t understand when respect for our elders disappeared from the realm of our thinking or the “line” of respect we have for each other as human beings blurred to the point of non-existence.
I encourage everyone, not just Cape May County, but even my own “community,” meaning the town I live in, the town I grew up in, my group of friends, etc., to take a step back and think before acting. Think about the impact of one’s decisions, and who will be involved, like their family and their community. Make a decision to not live for themselves but for the greater good. Respect their teachers, respect those who have given them a break and those who have impacted their lives for the positive.
As 2018 rolls in, I hope they, my community, will think of others more than they think of themselves. Lift each other up. Make a positive impact in someone’s life every day.
Happy New Year and cheers to 2018! 
ED. NOTE: Wiley is originally from Court House.