National Good Neighbor Day

September 26th is Good Neighbor Day. When I heard this, it got me thinking about the different neighbors I’ve had in my life. The most memorable were those from my childhood.

The first one I thought of lived on the other side of our narrow dead-end street. He lives in another state now and is a well known carver. I loved having him as a neighbor. He used to let me into his workshop while he was working and I’d watch as he created totem poles, masks, rattles, paddles, head dresses, and bent wood boxes. Each piece had its own story and I loved to listen to them all. When people would rave about the wonderful job he did, I always felt proud to be able to say he was my neighbor and I actually witnessed the creation of his wonderful art. Mind you, I was just a kid…no more than 10.

The first house on our short street was occupied by an elderly lady. I called her Grandma Liz even though we were not related. She lived alone and I spent many afternoons at her house. I don’t remember why I started visiting her, but I remember that she always made me feel so welcome. She had raspberries growing in her yard and I used to crawl under the bush where I could hide and eat my fill of berries. She always pretended not to notice my stained fingers when I would crawl back out and pretend I hadn’t raided her berry bush. When she passed away, our neighborhood was never the same.

The other elderly lady on our street was not as friendly, but just as memorable. She always had a dog. If one passed away, she’d quickly replace it with another. They were always small and they were always hyper. They’d irritate me by barking and yipping all day. There were salmon berry bushes bordering her lawn. Salmon berries grow wild here. If I, or anyone for that matter, tried to pick berries from “her” berry bushes, she’d come out hollering with a voice that made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. I always thought it funny that she wouldn’t let me pick the salmon berries, but would let me pick her black currants.

Those are just a few of the neighbors I’ve had in my lifetime. I wonder if they knew how much of an impact they had on my life. I also wonder what kind of impact I’ve had on others. Have I been a good neighbor? I know that I haven’t been a “bad” neighbor. I’m always respectful of those around me. But other than that, I just don’t know.