We've
all felt it; that wonderful feeling that strikes you when you return
to your hometown after a long period of time away. Driving through
the streets you attempt to notice any differences... 'Oh look at that
tree it's grown half an inch' or 'The beach has more rocks on it than
ever before'. In reality nothing has made a drastic change, but we
all like to believe it has. A town is made up of a basic structure –
a sprawl of houses, jammed with lunatic families who know everything
about everyone. The neighbourhood where you grew up also has some sort
of sentimental value to it, you as an inhabitant can rant about it
for hours...but if anyone else dares to say one bad word about your
'Happy Hollow' all hell breaks loose.
We
all know our neighbours, don't we? Sure they might drive you through
the wall, but they've always been there when you need a helping hand
(or when you need a hairdryer because your one just 'accidently'
exploded in your hand) For some, it is essential to know that you are
safely tucked between two happy houses full of happy people. Each
house lined along a perfectly pot-hole free road, blossoming with
roses of every colour with tiny birds singing in the tree tops...Yeah
right! Of course that's what it looks like to us. My dad was in the
States recently, he recalled to me how he had left his car on a quiet
road wondering if it would be safe there. The man accompanying him
said 'Everyone looks after each other around here.' Is that the
difference between country and city life? The city is full of
strangers who wouldn't even notice if you moved in next door and the
countryside is bursting with folks who never leave your house!
I
know there will be some of you who completely disagree with me. Who
can honestly say that they know their neighbours? As the saying goes
'Nobody knows what happens behind closed doors.' I'm sure we've all
wondered about that mystery man on the corner who never seems to be
outside during daylight hours or the woman who always seems to be
full of the joys of the Lord every waking moment. I'm sure it's just
my wild imagination hungry for adventure, but there's no denying the
fact that not all neighbours want to be an active part of the
community. Some would simply prefer to keep to themselves, that
doesn't essentially mean they're bad neighbours. I often feel pity
for these lonely people, branded with a derogatory name which rapidly
spreads across the town. Maybe instead of traipsing around town in a
flashy car you could afford during the boom, visit that lonely
neighbour who might just be too proud to ask for help!
Admit
it, everyone has at some point in their life wished they lived on the
same road as 'Boo Radley' from 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. That
neighbourhood always seemed to be bursting with life and excitement.
Who wouldn't want to get chased off a porch by a man with a shot gun
who has every intention of blowing your head off? Now don't get me
wrong, I wouldn't be thrilled by the thought of having a murderer
living next door, but the odd turmoil of excitement would be greatly
appreciated.
Another
important factor of neighbourhood life, is the personality of each
individual house tightly ridged onto that one street, so confined you
can hear one another breathe! I'm confident that every person who reads
this has the ability to label each house on their street accordingly.
Every neighbourhood has; a baker, a family house, that old couple
who always seem to be old, the lady with a gang of cats, the mystery
man (who stares as you walk past), a house on the corner that you
never even knew existed before, the party house, the haunted rickety
shack and the music house. Studying this extensive list I begin to
wonder how I would characterise my own house. After a lot of
consideration I have officially tagged it the 'Music House' (and I'd
be fairly confident our neighbours can vouch for that...) The
tinkling of piano keys, sweet strumming of a guitar or sounds of a
voice singing along to a well known tune radiate from our house ninety
percent of the time. I'm not going to lie though, sometimes that
piano playing can become a little violent, the guitar amp is often so
loud the floor vibrates and somebody might just get a little too
excited about hearing a song and break the sound barrier. One must
find a happy medium in these situations and maybe playing the bass
guitar along to a song blasting from two amps is pushing the
boundaries of 'tranquil neighbouring'.
So, I hear you ask,what are the crucial steps to being a good (nosey) neighbour? I suppose there is no correct answer to this long debated question. Neighbours come and go, but it's always important to make them feel welcome during the time they live in your area. Some say being a good neighbour is about looking after each other and simply being pleasant. After all, you see these people everyday of your life so there's really no point causing a dispute over something ridiculous. You often hear stories about long generational arguments between neighbours that originated from a tiny misunderstanding, which eventually shot completely out of proportion. This is a horrific position to be in, there's no doubt you would be conscious about stepping outside your own front door. The best story I heard lately was about a dispute that originated over a fence. It had been built one metre into the neighbours property and sparks were sent flying. Revenge was achieved when Halloween came around and their fence 'accidently' ended up in the bonfire... You can only imagine what happened after that!
The
truth about it is this; if you want to survive in your neighbourhood,
be a friendly neighbour. I leave you know with a few points to
consider. If by some crazy chance the following list seems too
familiar to you...watch your back!
What
not to do:
- Blare music at three in the morning – not cool
- Cause a row over fence boundaries
- Park in front of someone's driveway
- Give someone food the dog ate half of
- Smash a window with a ball and blame the quiet kid
- Have a party every Saturday that causes houses to quake in their foundations
Stare
in your neighbours window when you think they're not looking- Ring the doorbell and run away because you think it's absolutely hilarious
However,
if you plan to be the world's worst nosey neighbour...do all of the
above and you're on the path of success!
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