Daily Cascade

Neighbors

Prompt:
Write about your neighbors--- are they good neighbors or bad neighbors?

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My neighbors? I guess they are all very nice people, but I don't really know them. Not like the time during the early nineties when we moved into this house. At the time, we were, maybe, the youngest couple on the street. Then, I got to know most of them. Nowadays, everyone is so much younger, as most of the older ones have passed away, and many moved in with family or went into retirement homes.

At this time, I think I am the oldest one around. I know this from the fact that instead of calling repair people for the upkeep of their houses, my neighbors do those jobs themselves. As for me, for such jobs, I have several companies doing the work.

As to my immediate neighbors, those to the left of the house just moved in and I haven't met them, although my son says he talked to them. People to my right are a very sweet couple with grown children. They moved in about six years ago. They are friendly and they gave me their cell numbers and asked me to call them if I ever needed anything, and during the holidays they always bring over goodies and stuff. Those across the street, we just wave at each other when outside.

Part of the problem of being unneighborly lies with me, though. I don't take a walk on the street as I once used to, unless someone is accompanying me. And really, very few people nowadays take a walk on our street, anyway. Then, for me, even going to my mailbox feels like a trip, which means taking at least 100 steps over the concrete one way. Especially I am wary when it rains because slipping and falling on the wet ground would be not much fun in old age.

During the 60s, 70s, and even 80s, when we lived up north, we knew everybody around, but it was then. Times have changed a lot over the years, due to the inventions of many other ways for us to meet and make friends with other people, near and far. Still, I feel good about the people in my neighborhood because we have a nice, quiet street with houses far apart and no one bothers anyone.