A functional family means every member of the family needs every other member. It puts satisfaction into our own collective hands rather than settling for being a satisfied customer.

Neighbors have the capacity to know what we need. What we need are the gifts that surround us. What we need is each other. And when we act together, we will find the community way. The democratic way.

We have lost the imagination of what a neighborhood could do to raise a child. This means there is a great opportunity to organize neighbors to raise the local children -- to become a village that raises the children.

In our effort to find satisfaction in consumption, we're converted from citizens to consumers. The implications are profound. Consider the impact on just two parts of our lives: the family and the community.