It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
(And you are so very welcome for getting that song stuck in your head.)
My family moved into this, our first house, the very first weekend of August. So we've been here a little over five months.
I have met two of my neighbors.
Is this the norm now?
I had this impression that when you moved into a neighborhood, especially one where you were living so close to your next door neighbor that you could reach out of your window to knock on theirs to borrow a cup of sugar, the people that already lived there would come and say hi. Just hi. That's all. I'm not asking anyone to be my BFF or anything, or for our kids to play together every night. Just say hi.
But if it's normal now for neighbors to keep to themselves, let me know. It's been a while since I've lived in an actual neighborhood, so I don't know how things may have changed.
I keep thinking that I've done something to offend... But I keep the dog and her waste in our yard. I say hi when I get the chance. Or I do the friendly wave or head nod when I'm driving. Is there more I'm supposed to be doing?
Maybe it's because The Husband and I are able to fit both of our cars in the garage and the neighbors are jealous. (Don't hate.)
Or maybe it's because I have asked the neighborhood boys to not use our backyard as the 50-yard line when they're playing football. Which is always during naptime. And someone almost always gets tackled against our screen porch.
I'd like to know a neighbor or two. Just well enough to be able to comfortably walk over and say, "Hey there, neighbor! My 3-year-old just locked me out of the house while I was getting the mail. Could I use your phone?"
Not that anything like that's ever happened.
Twice.
Do you know your neighbors? Like, really know them, not just know them through the names you've come up with for them, like Dude Who Spends Way Too Much Time In His Hot Tub. Or do you interact with them with nods and smiles and maybe a friendly wave now and then? Or do you get together with them for cookouts and block parties?
It would give me such a good feeling, a very good feeling, to know all of that.
26 comments:
I run to and from my door and car, hissing and holding my coat over my face like a vampire. And, if I am carrying groceries I walk backward and yell at the concrete. One of my neighbors has a mat that says, "GO AWAY!" He never helps me with the groceries.
Otherwise just make everyone brownies. That might work...
I know several of my neighbors. With one set of neighbors we trade fruit from our trees. We have oranges, they have lemons..now we each have both. It's awesome. We also have some neighbors who watch out for our house if need be and the ones across the street invite us to their annual mayday party. We usually get about a half dozen or so neighbors at our Mardi Gras party. So take heart.
Though, one quick secret..sometimes the new neighbor has to break the ice. For example: on Valentines Day or some other holiday have the girls bake cookies and then you guys can walk around the 'hood and say hello!
It worked for us! :)
And yippee again about your new house. <3
You can pick your friends...but you can't pick your neighbors!! We are blessed with a few great neighbors.. but a few odd ones too.. sometimes those 'locked out' moments are the best times to break the ice! Good luck!
Wait until you go through a hurricane together - seriously. That is when we really got to know our neighbors. We helped each other clean up. We would cook all our food together on each others' grills, share leftovers, etc. Now, we are really close with 2 sets of neighbors, and talk with 3 other sets. And by close, I mean borrowing a cup of sugar, kids play together, and watching each others kids if needed. Everyone else on the street will smile, say hi, etc. It was NOT like that before the summer of 2005, though. Just a thought... :)
I've moved a decent amount...and every time I move into a new neighborhood, I've NEVER known my neighbors. I mean, I'm lucky if I get a wave every blue moon.
However, living in an apartment building, I have gotten to know a few of them a little better.
Maybe sometimes it just takes effort. I guess things just aren't how they used to be..it's sad.
My next door neighbor on one side is the bestest. She happened to have a son my boys age and so that was a great thing. The other neighbors are more the wave and nod type. We had one neighbor, across the street, accuse our boys of shooting his RV with a bb gun - the police were even called - um, teh closest we have to any type of gun is a Nerf gun. The neighbor on the other side of us owns pigeons - like 100, and he accused us of calling the city on him, while pigeon poop on our BBQ and fence is no fun, we would just not do that. Another neighbor thinks we are not good enough Christians even though we are members of the same faith, but go to a different congregation. I could go on. I'm thinking I like living in my own little world and nods and waves are just fine with me.
I knew some of our neighbors in our old neighborhood, while others were a bit more closed. I guess it depends on the type. NOw? My neighbors are too far away, and I LIKE IT!!
We smile and nod at our neighbors but frankly, they are just creepy. Although we don't live in a fancy pants neighborhood like you.
I have to walk a mile to reach my neighbors so now the Wii Fit Trainer Lady is my only friend. *eye twitch*
The man and I lucked out when it comes to neighbors - at least on either side of us and a few doors down. On one side is someone who went to high school with my BIL and on the other is a really nice family with a little boy. The house on the end has twins and one down the way has a young daughter. They're all really nice and I'm sure would help if we ever got locked out ;) You should take your neighbors cookies and introduce yourself. If they won't come to you then maybe you should go to them!
~WM
LOL! When we moved into our little house (before our townhouse we are in now) we did not know a lot of the neighbors but we did name them all like, Screamer (she screamed at her kids a lot), Shorts (he wore shorts all the time) you get the picture. Anyway, after we had our son they all came over to meet us and the baby.
i am too embarrassed to go meet my neighbors. my husband is somewhat of a junk collector and the two times i have gotten up the nerve to go introduce myself to the neighbors i have immediately been met with questions like. "what are you guys doing over there?" "what does your husband dooooo exactly?" and "how long before you are FINISHED building that thing in your yard?" jake always has something that he is building displayed out for the entire neighborhood to see as it always sits in the MIDDLE of the yard for atleast a year. however, if all of my neighbors were as awesome and as accepting as mister rogers, i would go visit them every day and not be afraid to say hi.
We have always made a point to take some Christmas baking and a little note to the 5 houses around us. For many years, that was the only time we actually spoke to them. Amazingly, after our first baby was born, ALL of them not only spoke to us but came to our house AND brought gifts. So, maybe that's your answer... time for a baby!!
BTW, I LOVE Mr. Rogers!!!
I'm your newest follower! :)
I only know the neighbors to our right. The rest have nicknames like Crazy Guy, The Ones Who Hate Pets, The Lady That Kicked Her Husband Out, and The People We Never See.
Also, this totally gave me an idea for a blog post.
I know what you mean!! I remember when I was growing up we had the best neighborhood. We knew all the neighbors, and everyone was there for each other. It seems that nowadays neighborhoods just aren't the same. At least the ones I have moved to. Hope it works out for you though!
"My sister lives outside of Atlanta, and last year my mom and I went up for a visit to surprise her! We left early and took a trip to Savannah -- LOVED it! On the way to where my sister lived, we let the GPS take us a 'scenic' route, and ran across where they filmed parts of "Fried Green Tomatoes"! The restaurant was closed, I hope to go back one time when it's open! So fun!
And the aquarium in Atlanta is fantastic! Can't wait to go back there with The Husband and both of our girls!"
Sounds like you had a blast!! I have never been to that restaurant, but if you ever go back to Savannah check out the river walk! It's so much fun!
We live in a very close as in living really close to each other neighborhood. Can you guess the name of it? Hehe... Capitol Heights...
Anyway, no one came to welcome us when we moved in. We had to put ourselves in situations to get to know our neighbors. We went to them when we saw them out in their yards. And we made sure to attend all the neighborhood events put on by the association. We also make sure to welcome new neighbors too. The friends we DO have in our neighborhood we met in other circumstances and when we found out we were neighbors we started hanging out. One couple we met at a Breastfeeding class we took just before our babies were born!! Haha!! I would say people probably have good intentions but they get busy and after a while would feel like they missed their opportunity. And thanks for getting that song stuck in my head...
I don't think it's you - people have gotten really stand-offish these days. I remember the day I fell down the stairs of my apartment and was laying on the cement with a broken ankle and my neighbors walked right past me, making sure not to make eye contact. :-)
sadly I don't think it is "not normal" People get involved in their own little lives. I've been in this house years and the only neighbors I know well are the ones two houses over with kids my kids age. The neighbor in between is tolerant and says hello and so on, but even that took awhile. They had to sort of check us out I think.
I have to agree with Lynnda, a hurricane will do it. My husband was out there chain sawing trees off everybody's driveway and so I guess they got to talking...
Gosh I always thought that in a neighborhood, people do just stop by to chat. I live in an apartment right now, so I can't really say from personal experience!
People are far too busy and wrapped up in their own lives to just stop and chat these days. In the old days where were the neighbors in the evenings? In their yards working, sitting on the porch or playing with the kids. These days they are running to soccer practice, and hockey practice, and.... whatever other practice... When we moved here I baked cookies and knocked on the neighbors doors to get to know them. We had been living here three or four years when there was a knock at the door. A man carrying bread from his wife. He said we just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood. We live on the corner and everyone must drive by our house to come and go. The house sat empty for a long time and was in serious neglect in and out when we bought it. You would have to be blind or dead not to notice the major changes we had made not to mention all the kids running around the yard all the time! It was delicious bread, though.
I'm kind of a hermit...so where we live now just feeds my hermitness...yes we have neighbors, but there's about an half an acre of land between us or more in some cases and I think we all might be a bit reclusive here..not sure...all I know is we about the only house during Halloween to actually turn on our lights(besides the scary people who live caddy corner form us..lol!)
I'd say do what my husband does...because he's a social animal and loves to play with others....just go walking around the neighborhood this spring and see who you catch outside...introduce yourself...say howdy or hi or whatever...its all good!
I know them well enough to know that all we have in common is an address.
My comment was eaten up by Blogger, darn them.
We don't get to see of neighbors until summer - don't take offense, it's just busy with school, less daylight hours...
I'm sure they will love you!
I so wish I had neighborly friends! Movie nites, babysit each others kids. But, no...we're not tight like that. At all :(
I did let our left neighbor's dog out last Saturday. How depressing is that?!
I'm so ready for a new house and new, fun neighbors--that could become my bestie, haha!
xoxo
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