Why Be a Good Neighbor
My house sits pretty far back from the road and the road has only about 18 to 20 houses on it. We each live on at least one acre, so we’re spread out. To the right side of us is an elderly lady who at 84 years old lives alone, but still mows her lawn and gets herself around. We wave to each other, but that’s about it. The house to the left of us has been mostly vacant for the last five years. The man across the street bought it with the intention of moving into it so he could give the other house to his daughter. Shockingly, she said “No thank you.” I wasn’t surprised because the house she turned down was kind of gross. Dirty, bad flooring, outdated. That home owner actually moved out about three years ago so both houses have been sitting vacant.
I want to be a good neighbor, but really there’s no one to be a good neighbor with… except the elderly woman who has pointed a couple of times that her sister lives “right over there in the white house.” But there are some really good reasons you should be good to your neighbors, and Brip Blap - one of my favorite blogs - shows why. For example,
- Lookouts. If you go on vacation, you’re going to want someone to watch your place. I’m wouldn’t expect anyone to be a hero, but just stopping someone from backing up a truck by calling 9-1-1 would be nice.
- Saving money. You can save money borrowing a rake if you’re on good terms with your neighbor.
There are several other good reasons, but I want to add that not only are neighbors good lookouts when you’re gone, but also when you’re home. Some additional reasons of my own on why you should be a good neighbor:
- Shopping. If you’re car breaks down, a good neighbor won’t mind at all if you ride along with them to the grocery. They might even pick up some milk for you when they’re out.
- Sharing. We had a monster ice storm several years ago. One side of the street went without power for a week. Our side had power. We shared heat, showers, food. It brought us all closer and is nice to know that someone is there for you in a time of real need.
- Pets. When you go out of town, your neighbors can feed your cats, walk your dogs. Or if a pet gets out of the fence, they can help you recover them.
The rewards of being a good neighbor far outweigh starting or extending a silly feud. Let there be peace on the block.
My photo. It’s Jack, another neighbor’s dog, who is friends with everyone. At least he is now that he’s matured a bit. He used to tear things up and steal things like rollerblades, balls, etc.
