Like a Good Neighbor

 

I don’t have a lot of neighbors. The joke around here is that if you live within 4 – 5 miles you are neighbors. Population density is pretty low. Most of my neighbors are seasonal so there is that. There is a full timer living across the street and I’m glad we get alone.

We aren’t “come over and have coffee” neighbors but that’s fine. We are neighbors who’ll pet your dogs and check in on each other during storms. Frankly, that’s a pretty good level to be at. My neighbor just offered parking space for my boat and trailer. That way it’ll be out of the way when my buddy shows up with his excavator.

Normally I get along pretty good with the neighbors. There was that one guy who was tweaked out on meth and got into huge yelling matches with his wife. I knew he wasn’t right in the head but we still got along well enough. The thing with meth heads is that you can’t trust them. Meth takes over. Well, the cops hauled him away and it’s been pretty quiet ever since. Meth has done some serious damage to rural America.

Funny thing. When the meth head was yelling his chickens would break out of the shoddy coup he built and all come over to my place. Chickens aren’t smart but they are smart enough to know when to get out of Dodge.

As much as I like my solitude it’s good to get along with folk. One winter my car slid off my driveway and into a ditch. The guy who lived down the road stopped when he saw I was in trouble. He apologized for not being able to stay and help as he had to make a doctor’s appointment. Instead he told me to go into his house and get the keys to his big 4X4 truck so I could pull myself out. That’s what I did. It’s nice to get the help and even nicer to be trusted.

-Sixbears