Like A Good Neighbor...

 

If you are of a certain age and you see that phrase, you immediately hear in your head the rest of the jingle.  (You may even know that Barry Manilow wrote it.)  However, I'm thinking more about BEING a good neighbor than the jingle.  (Although I'll admit that now it's stuck in my head.)

I'd like to think that generally, I am a good neighbor.  Wouldn't we all like to think that?  Most of us (I think) TRY to be good neighbors, but let's face it, at some point we are all a**hats.  I'm sure I've pissed off my neighbors at some point, but I hope that in general I'm a decent neighbor.  AND I'm happy to report that generally my neighbors are really good.  In fact, I've got some neighbors who are downright GREAT.  (I hope you know who you are.)

What makes great neighbors?  To me it's communication and consideration...not just to me but to all of the neighbors in the surrounding area.  

Example:  a few years back one of my neighbors did a MAJOR home renovation.  On my little block, that meant noise and inconvenience for everyone.  However, they addressed this head on.  They let us (and I believe everyone else on the block) that this was going to be happening.  After all, forewarned is forearmed.  Add in the fact that ever since they had moved it, they had tried to be good neighbors, and while it WAS noisy and messy, it was tolerable.  Finally, once everything was completed, they had a party and invited everyone over to see the results.  So while the renovation may have been inconvenient for the family AND their neighbors (us), they were (and are) good neighbors.

As I sit here writing, another neighbor is in the midst of a home renovation.  This is HUGE.  The original home was torn down and a new house is being put up in its place.  This has been going on since the beginning of the year (or maybe it was even the end of last year). Over the summer months there was lots of noise while the outside work was done.  Then the work moved inside so it was quieter.  Today, the landscapers are working and it is pretty loud.  There are at least 4 trucks on this little dead-end street.  It is inconvenient?  Yes.  It is annoying?  Yes.  Is she a bad neighbor?  NO!  She made sure we were all informed.  She has been open as to what is going on.  And like my other neighbor, for years before this, she was kind and caring to everyone.  (Especially to my parents.)  I know when this is all finally done, I will go over and we will sit on one of her decks with a glass of wine and watch the sun go down.  She is a good neighbor.

Then there was the neighbor who took down numerous trees on the property.  I'm not a big fan of taking down healthy trees, but that was not my call.  However, this neighbor was NOT communicative.  Furthermore, my husband and I were out doing our grocery shopping in the early morning and when we came back there was machinery sitting on our back lawn and NO ONE had asked our permission.  I wrote about this when it happened.  (https://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-death-of-trees.html).  This was not just inconvenient; it was inconsiderate with a clear lack of communication.  This was not good neighbor behavior.

In my area of the world, the houses are pretty close together.  We can often see and/or hear what is going on when it comes to our neighbors.  So try to be considerate.  If possible, have your HVAC contractor place the condenser in an area that is not right by my bedroom window.   Do you really need security lights that double as searchlights?  (And do they really need to be on 24/7?) If you are having a big party, you don't have to invite me, but let me know that there are going to be a lot of cars on the street so I can plan accordingly.  I'll mind the band's music less if you let me know that they'll be shutting down at 11. If you let me know when you are going to be away, I'll keep an eye on your house.

Let's share a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine).  Let's talk; about the good and the bad.  Let's laugh. Let's have fun. We're neighbors...let's be neighborly.