Neighbourliness

I have to say that neighbourliness hasn't died.

When my wife, son and I were vacationing in The Philippines during Christmas, New Jersey was hit with all sorts of snow. There was an eighteen inch drop that was followed up a few days later by a blizzard. I was grateful to have missed the storms but there was dread in the back of mind. I was worried about the shoveling I would have to do when I got back (and by then the snow would have packed into harder icy sheets and mounds) and I was worried about getting a citation for not clearing out the public walk and the walk up to my front door.

I should mention, before going on, that we live in a two-family house that is located at the corner of the street and that our neighbour who lives on the other side was also away. We've become friends with our neighbour, dog-watching for each other when we travel, so I e-mailed her and asked if she knew anyone in town she could ask to do some snow-clearing for us. A friend of hers did the public walk but I still worried about the driveway and the other big areas.

Well, as the vacation went on and it came time to fly back to New Jersey, I sent her another e-mail to see if she'd gotten back home and how things looked. Well, she replied that both our driveways had been cleared out. She didn't know who'd done it and I couldn't think of anyone either.

It turned out that our neighbour across the street did it with her kids. It's not like we don't know her and her kids or her husband. We've done the neighbour thing, talking as we rake leaves and planting new seeds in the spring. Plus, she's good friends with a colleague's sister. Her kids have walked my dog, too. Our relationship, however, hasn't developed beyond that. We've never sat around a table or grill in the summer, shooting the breeze and sharing longnecks or a pitcher of Sangria or vodka tonics. And I'm not lobbying that we have to but it was heartwarming and even provided a sense of reassurance when I found out that they'd done this kind deed for us. In an age where everyone is busy to the point of isolation, in this fast-paced instant gratification era where people are stuck in front of their laptops making virtual friends (I say that with a little tongue in cheek as I type this blog post) and don't want to be bothered with anyone else, I imagined an era that I missed - when everyone knew everyone and people left their doors unlocked and there was really a sense of community.

I thank my neighbours and I urge anyone who reads this to remember that people need people.