Are You Neighborly?
Posted by Lisa Hendey in Homemaking on Friday, October 02, 2009 12:00 PM
We have lived in our current house for almost nine years, having moved in when Adam was in Kindergarten. Living on a cul de sac, we have experienced very few comings and goings during that time so we’re mostly surrounded by the same folks who lived on our street when we moved in.
I have to admit, we’re not a very neighborly bunch. Shortly after we moved in, the neighbors on one side of us came over and introduced themselves. We wave to one another regularly and have watched their son grow into a teenager over the past several years. Unfortunately, aside from an uncomfortable conversation about flooding sprinklers, we have never had any relationship with the elderly couple who shares our other fence. I imagine them inside their home, perhaps griping about the crazy family who lives next door and all of the noise from their music! I’m sure they loved it a few months ago when Adam added bagpipes to his repertoire! As for the other homeowners on our street, we wave at one another as we pull in and out of our garages, but I couldn’t tell you their names or anything about them.
That’s why I’m so pleasantly surprised that I’m beginning to strike up a friendship with our next door neighbor Cathy (the nice one!). She and I have been taking walks together once a week, and have discovered many common interests. Her son falls between Eric and Adam chronologically, so we have lots of teenage issues to discuss. She’s also very active in her church, and an incredibly spiritual person. I find myself looking forward to our Thursday morning walking dates, even if Cathy’s long stride has me breathing hard within a block or two.
I’ve been asking myself lately why I have been so un-neighborly. We Californians live with walls around our yards and rarely walk anywhere. But is that an excuse not to grow to know and care about those who surround me in my community? I’m wondering how I can begin to develop other friendships with my neighbors without being too pushy. In the mean time, I am enjoying getting to know Cathy and hope to invite her family over for a meal soon.
How about you - are you neighborly, or do you tend to be isolated from your neighbors? Do you have any ideas for good community-building tactics? How have you gotten to know your neighbors over the years?
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