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| Be a good Neighbour | | | Dr. Pragya Khanna | 1/17/2012 11:38:06 PM |
| We make our friends; we make our enemies; but God makes our next door neighbour.-Gilbert K. Chest-erton. Just imagine early in the morning before getting the kids ready for school you are sipping a hot and refreshing cup of tea and having small conversations with your husband, a perfect way to begin your day. Now when you are enjoying yourself thoroughly; your doorbell rings. You open the door to find a familiar smiling face that says, "can I get some sugar please?" You heave a sigh!
Now since your neighbor does not want you to think that she is here only for some work, she starts talking to you. Your precious ten minutes are gone, your husband has a newspaper in his hand and your kitchen waits for your presence with loads of work. But still you very gladly do the needful keeping the old maxim in mind "Far better a neighbor that is near than a brother far off". Usually we associate neighbors with either gossips or tittle-tattle or count on them when we fall short of some ingredient that is important for cooking say a tomato, or a cup of milk; or for things like a needle, a hammer, but we do need them.
But think about them needing us? - hmmm, that can be a bit upsetting; particularly when they leave their kid with us for a few hours; who has a tendency to break anything and everything he touches; or when we have to take care of their dog when they are away on a few days trip. Mrs. Shaarda Sharma, a 50 year old housewife says, "Give and take with a neighbor helps you save money in the long run by making it unnecessary to spend money when you don't have need for a thing frequently."
"Of course, all the gossips are so important...and neighbors are the greatest source for that" says Manju, a 35 year old professional. The point here is that neighbors do matter to us all the time. Sometimes we are envious of them when they improve themselves; we compete with them just to prove our point to them; we stand by them when a misfortune strikes them; we dance with them if there is a wedding in their family. We need them as much as we run away from them. The old cliché applies here about our neighbors, "You love them or you hate them; but you cannot ignore them". Anita Verma, a doctor byprofession says, "Really neighbors are very important specially in today's world when families are staying at long distances." However, we see that due to modernization and setting up of new colonies people feel alienated and lost when fundamental changes in their society make the world strange and unrecognizable. There used to be times when people in a locality lived like a family exchanging foodstuff during festivities. But the times have changed now and many a times you don't even know who your neighbors are. The reasons behind this colossal transformation especially in urban areas and newly established colonies can be given some attention at this point. Life has become completely mechanical nowadays; people generally are so busy and attached to their jobs that they don't even have time for a four hours sleep. Talk about socialization! Life has become stressful and tiring for people who never stop striving to reach the pinnacle of success. Life has changed that much even the parents and the kids have to look out for quality time to sit with one another and share their experiences of the day.
People have become more dependent on social media connectivity but can it lead to actual social interaction, is a question to ponder. "I became less social instead of more social because of the fact that my friends are always at my fingertips" says Megha, a 20 year old student. Though the technology says that now people and things are always a click away, in fact society has become less interactive face-to-face. According to Anil Sharma, an architect, "Most people I know are so much busy with work and family and whatever their interests or hobbies are, that there literally is no time to do the 'neighbourly chat over the fence' thing." While Sunil, a 38 year old consultant says, "People are really not that busy. That is used as an excuse. People spend so much time on the Internet or watching TV, they just do not enjoy talking to their neighbors or feel that their neighbors do not like talking to them, so they give space".
Moreover, due to an increase in the crime rate in today's world where people have become less honest and candid, families sometimes consider it unsafe to communicate and become friendly with strangers. When we move into a new neighborhood, we always wonder who our new neighbors are. Finding the time to introduce ourselves is usually left to chance. After a move, there is always so much to do that we often leave getting to know the neighbors until last, and more often than not, it is something we never do. While keeping a little watchful eye we can always try to find out about our neighbors; who knows you might just make some really strong, long-lasting friendships.
Though being on bad terms with your neighbor can make your life frustrating, day after day. But taking the time to establish good terms with your neighbors has numerous benefits. The community will be friendlier, the neighborhood safer, and the area a nicer and more comfortable place to live. Whether you are new in the neighborhood or new residents have just moved in on your block, try practicing a few tips, begin by introducing yourself, give them respect and consider their privacy. Practice parking etiquette, control your dog, don't litter around. If you have to put something on fire like trash, position it where the smoke and smell will least likely blow onto your neighbor's property. Above all try to smile when you are face to face, it is simple enough. But remember "A good neighbor is a fellow who smiles at you over the back fence, but doesn't climb over it." Without romanticizing the past I can't help feeling that the unique aspects of a city's character need to be preserved. And lively neighborhoods and communities come fairly high on the list. |
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