Originally Posted by NJblue

What is "the real world"? The real world that I left was one of suburban America where neighbors did not really know each other, where being in a friendly neighborhood meant that they would wave to each other as they drove by. If somebody up the street had a death in the family or a serious illness, you probably never knew about it, and if you did, you would just say some platitude like, "Oh, that's too bad".

Contrast that with my TV neighborhood where I know and regularly socialize with many more neighbors than I even knew the names of in my old "real world". In my new real world, neighbors not only know of life's tragedies that hit the neighborhood, but go out of their way to express condolances and chip in for memorials/flowers. On the other side of the sad events are the happy events of kids getting married or grandkids being born. The neighbors are there to help celebrate those times as well.

So, which "real world" one lives in is his/her choice: the insular real world of most of the rest of America or the real world of neighbors caring for their fellow neighbors. I'll take the latter. I'd say that those who choose the former may be doing so to really escape the real world - the real world of sharing life's joys and sadness within your community.