Thursday, April 21, 2011

Nextdoor Neighbors


I always make it a point to get to know my nextdoor neighbors when I move to a new neighborhood or a new town. To me, it is important to know who I am living and dealing with, and know how to protect my family. It is better to play safe than to be sorry later on.

I would greet and talk to my neighbors. I would try to know them well, at least I would want to know what they are doing for a living and a bit more about their family background. To me, information like these can be useful and important; we never know what our neighbors can do to us.

Getting to know our neighbors can make our neighborhood safer, or at least friendlier. Life can be quite lonely, dull and frustrating when we isolate ourselves from our neighbors and avoid talking to them. Unfamiliarity with our surroundings can often make us a little unsettled, suspicious and even cynical of the people around us.

I have good neighbors and we use to meet and do things together. We help one another to clean our compound; we share our gardening tips and secrets; we share our harvests and cultivating tools and techniques; we share our food and recipe; we help one another in taking care of our house when we are not around, etc.

Living with good neighbors can be fun, inspiring, exciting, and rewarding. Of course, there are times when we have to live and deal with bad neighbors. We may have to avoid crashing into one another; we may have to build up walls, and close our doors and windows most of the time.

It is difficult to live with quarrelsome and restless neighbors. There will be noises and disturbances; there will be quarrels and fights; there will be inconsideration and thoughtlessness, self-centeredness and selfishness, etc.

How are you immediate neighbors? Do you like them, or have troubles with them?

Good neighbors are hard and hard to find this day.

Maybe it is our turn to learn to be good neighbors.

What do you think?

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