The Neighborhood Watch: A Commentary on Safety & Our Society Today!
August 21st, 2017 CEO
By Katrina Broner
“Love Thy Neighbor”
There are 7 billion people on earth and counting so you would think there are as many ways to “Love Thy Neighbor” as there are neighbors by now. The truth is there are a lot less and people are starting to like being left alone, maybe for good reason.
Back in the day if there was a new neighbor they were welcomed with warm, delicious apple pies and cookies. People made it a happy point in their day to stop by and introduce themselves and their family because everyone needs to feel welcomed in a new environment. While it was a way to show love and kindness, especially to newcomers in that area, it was also the nicest way to run “The Neighborhood Watch” on a stranger.
That’s Right!
Within the first week if you’re the new neighbor everyone important has been to your door. Whether they tell you or not, you have met the police officer, the head of the PTA, the Boy Scout leader, a couple deacons, their wives and the matriarch of the community that have seen some crazies come and go. While handing you their baked goods they have already taken mental notes about your kids, your car, job and whether your house will be problematic for meetings because you’re a bit lazy. After they all get together and have their meeting about you, if the gossip committee shows up to fill you in-well congratulations! You’re officially a good neighbor and they expect you to participate and act as such. You are officially on duty!
I have always been welcomed to the community and officially a good neighbor no matter where I’ve moved but times have changed. Warm pies have been replaced with awkward stares and half-hearted hellos because you happened to check the mail at the same time. Over the years I’ve noticed that people just don’t care to know each other anymore. I’ve introduced myself to parents whose children play with mine every day in the community and sometimes it’s a shock to them. Fortunately, I remember singing “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” and choose to keep “The Neighborhood Watch” going, even if I’m the only one. Little did I know it would be a curse and a blessing in disguise because no two people or families are ever alike…or normal for that matter. There are some interesting characters in every neighborhood.
I’ve had my share of the Mooch & Borrow neighbor. One absolutely refused to say hello to me no matter how many times I spoke to her until the day I got my cable turned on. A good friend was leaving my place and she, being nosey, heard me thank him for his services as I hugged him. The next day she sees me and belts out a “Heeeeeyyy”. As the movie Friday goes, my first thought was “BYE Felicia!” but I instead opted for a hello in the fashion of Craig’s Mom. She inquired about how much my cable bill costs, I answered by asking how much she got? She countered saying well let me get what you got. “I got the hook up…holla if ya hear me!”. Turns out she was living barely at the minimum when she would ask to borrow things. Not everyone is living as well as we think they are. She couldn’t afford much but she was a great neighbor.
Then there was what I would call the “Double Life” neighbor that got right past me with a smile. After giving birth, I was stuck in the house for a while so I knew when my area of the complex was temporarily deserted as everyone was at work. One day a lead detective from the highway patrol knocks loudly in the middle of the afternoon. I of course answer the door and the first thing I notice was his hand and how it was on his gun as if it was his hip. He proceeds to ask me some very alarming questions about my next-door neighbor. He shows me these pictures and I recognize the face but not by that name.
I thought I knew her well-a little dog, 2 children and she did hair from her home every so often but I hadn’t heard or seen them in about 3 or 4 weeks. She was always pleasant, except when she would watch Judge Mathis too loud. Even through his dark official glasses I knew the detective was giving me the hard “You don’t know shit” stare. I asked if there was a problem and he proceeds to tell me the biggest problem. Apparently, for the last year and a half, my pleasant Judge Mathis watching neighbor was wanted for grand larceny and identity theft across 3 state lines! She had been hiding next door for all that time! They finally caught up to her only they were too late. He gave me his card, clearly frustrated and said to call if she ever came back. Haven’t seen her since.
Every year I’m learning more and more why “Love Thy Neighbor” is becoming a dying tradition. These days you never know whose next door and sometimes it may not be worth finding out if you want to keep your sanity and safety. It’s tough to love people that have gotten so far away from kindness so sometimes all you can do is watch and hopefully help if need be.
I almost quit being a good neighbor but I was reminded that sometimes just watching is what makes it all worth it. My upstairs neighbor works at a car wash and she talks to me quite a bit. I believe it’s because she’s from an era when loving your neighbor was still normal. After I moved into this apartment a few months ago, I learned very quickly to stay in the living room and turn the TV up if I hear her boyfriend walking heavy upstairs. As nice as she is, my neighbor squeals like a pig when their “afternoon delight” gets good to her. The other day I hear her boyfriend outside talking loud to some other neighbor because she kept saying quite loudly: OMG WHY WOULD YOU PARK THIS THING IN HERE!? Of course, I get up to see what “this thing” is and where it’s parked. Lo and behold, there’s a white hearse parked in front of our building and the boyfriend is explaining that he runs a funeral home and he’s just home for lunch between services.
Now I admit, I immediately regretted my nosey decision in finding out what was going on. But in true form of a good neighbor, I decided to take a picture, for future reference of course (and social media kicks). I wasn’t sure whether I should laugh, cry or just be completely disgusted between this new information and what was about to happen during his lunch break but I knew the standard operating procedure for sure: stay in the living room and turn up the TV.
So I’ve decided to stay on the neighborhood watch a little longer because people are just trying to live and they will surprise you. “Love Thy Neighbor” gets weirder everyday but do it anyway.
The Neighborhood Watch: A Commentary on Safety & Our Society Today!
“Love Thy Neighbor”
There are 7 billion people on earth and counting so you would think there are as many ways to “Love Thy Neighbor” as there are neighbors by now. The truth is there are a lot less and people are starting to like being left alone, maybe for good reason.
Back in the day if there was a new neighbor they were welcomed with warm, delicious apple pies and cookies. People made it a happy point in their day to stop by and introduce themselves and their family because everyone needs to feel welcomed in a new environment. While it was a way to show love and kindness, especially to newcomers in that area, it was also the nicest way to run “The Neighborhood Watch” on a stranger.
That’s Right!
Within the first week if you’re the new neighbor everyone important has been to your door. Whether they tell you or not, you have met the police officer, the head of the PTA, the Boy Scout leader, a couple deacons, their wives and the matriarch of the community that have seen some crazies come and go. While handing you their baked goods they have already taken mental notes about your kids, your car, job and whether your house will be problematic for meetings because you’re a bit lazy. After they all get together and have their meeting about you, if the gossip committee shows up to fill you in-well congratulations! You’re officially a good neighbor and they expect you to participate and act as such. You are officially on duty!
I have always been welcomed to the community and officially a good neighbor no matter where I’ve moved but times have changed. Warm pies have been replaced with awkward stares and half-hearted hellos because you happened to check the mail at the same time. Over the years I’ve noticed that people just don’t care to know each other anymore. I’ve introduced myself to parents whose children play with mine every day in the community and sometimes it’s a shock to them. Fortunately, I remember singing “Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?” and choose to keep “The Neighborhood Watch” going, even if I’m the only one. Little did I know it would be a curse and a blessing in disguise because no two people or families are ever alike…or normal for that matter. There are some interesting characters in every neighborhood.
I’ve had my share of the Mooch & Borrow neighbor. One absolutely refused to say hello to me no matter how many times I spoke to her until the day I got my cable turned on. A good friend was leaving my place and she, being nosey, heard me thank him for his services as I hugged him. The next day she sees me and belts out a “Heeeeeyyy”. As the movie Friday goes, my first thought was “BYE Felicia!” but I instead opted for a hello in the fashion of Craig’s Mom. She inquired about how much my cable bill costs, I answered by asking how much she got? She countered saying well let me get what you got. “I got the hook up…holla if ya hear me!”. Turns out she was living barely at the minimum when she would ask to borrow things. Not everyone is living as well as we think they are. She couldn’t afford much but she was a great neighbor.
Then there was what I would call the “Double Life” neighbor that got right past me with a smile. After giving birth, I was stuck in the house for a while so I knew when my area of the complex was temporarily deserted as everyone was at work. One day a lead detective from the highway patrol knocks loudly in the middle of the afternoon. I of course answer the door and the first thing I notice was his hand and how it was on his gun as if it was his hip. He proceeds to ask me some very alarming questions about my next-door neighbor. He shows me these pictures and I recognize the face but not by that name.
I thought I knew her well-a little dog, 2 children and she did hair from her home every so often but I hadn’t heard or seen them in about 3 or 4 weeks. She was always pleasant, except when she would watch Judge Mathis too loud. Even through his dark official glasses I knew the detective was giving me the hard “You don’t know shit” stare. I asked if there was a problem and he proceeds to tell me the biggest problem. Apparently, for the last year and a half, my pleasant Judge Mathis watching neighbor was wanted for grand larceny and identity theft across 3 state lines! She had been hiding next door for all that time! They finally caught up to her only they were too late. He gave me his card, clearly frustrated and said to call if she ever came back. Haven’t seen her since.
Every year I’m learning more and more why “Love Thy Neighbor” is becoming a dying tradition. These days you never know whose next door and sometimes it may not be worth finding out if you want to keep your sanity and safety. It’s tough to love people that have gotten so far away from kindness so sometimes all you can do is watch and hopefully help if need be.
I almost quit being a good neighbor but I was reminded that sometimes just watching is what makes it all worth it. My upstairs neighbor works at a car wash and she talks to me quite a bit. I believe it’s because she’s from an era when loving your neighbor was still normal. After I moved into this apartment a few months ago, I learned very quickly to stay in the living room and turn the TV up if I hear her boyfriend walking heavy upstairs. As nice as she is, my neighbor squeals like a pig when their “afternoon delight” gets good to her. The other day I hear her boyfriend outside talking loud to some other neighbor because she kept saying quite loudly: OMG WHY WOULD YOU PARK THIS THING IN HERE!? Of course, I get up to see what “this thing” is and where it’s parked. Lo and behold, there’s a white hearse parked in front of our building and the boyfriend is explaining that he runs a funeral home and he’s just home for lunch between services.
Now I admit, I immediately regretted my nosey decision in finding out what was going on. But in true form of a good neighbor, I decided to take a picture, for future reference of course (and social media kicks). I wasn’t sure whether I should laugh, cry or just be completely disgusted between this new information and what was about to happen during his lunch break but I knew the standard operating procedure for sure: stay in the living room and turn up the TV.
So I’ve decided to stay on the neighborhood watch a little longer because people are just trying to live and they will surprise you. “Love Thy Neighbor” gets weirder everyday but do it anyway.
Until next time, be a good neighbor.
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