My ideas of being a good neighbor probably was shaped by TV shows I watched as a child. I witnessed Lucy and Ethel become fast friends by getting into unbelievable situations, running up and down stairs between their apartments. Proximity probably had a lot to do with their impulse to bond. Over the years, community and relationships were based less on shared geography than shared interests. People seem to be overly public online and very private in-person. I don’t hang out with the people that live in my building, but I feel grateful for having them as neighbors. The man next door has helped me carry heavy items up the back stairs. The woman on the first floor drove me to the ER when I tripped in our building’s parking area. I try to act with consideration in all things. But sometimes, I just want to say, ‘thank you.’ This seems important to me now. Think about how you might say thank you to people that live nearby, people you may take for granted until you need help.
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