It's a little late on a Monday to be asking a question, but the question still seems worth asking.
I spent Saturday afternoon walking up and down 366 (and then driving through Etna) carrying petitions for Democratic candidates. While I've known my neighbors on both sides of this house (and have no neighbors across the road), this was the first time I'd met a lot of people who live quite close to me.
A few months ago I looked out my window and saw a police car in the driveway. I went out to see what it was, and it was for a background check on one of my neighbors applying for a job. The police officer at that point knew more about more of my neighbors in either direction than I did, and had updates on the people who'd come to the garage sale we had last year.
When I was kid, I think we just kind of swarmed. I ran into kids while we were playing or walking to school (a bus can also bring neighborhood kids together). Our parents wound up knowing each other whether they did before or not. We don't have kids - just two dogs we try hard to keep on the property, far from the highway - so I don't have the benefit of my kids introducing me to people.
Some people know their neighbors through church, politics, social organizations, or sports. Some people come to think of their "neighbors" as including a community of people who don't all live next door.
How do you know your neighbors?
Posted by simonstl at June 28, 2004 09:52 PM