Comments on: Religion: Love thy nearest homeowner

By: Random Name

Random Name — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:07:39 +0000

Karen, my mood changes from day to day and minute to minute. I woke up this morning and kissed my wonderful wife, and that put me in a good mood. My daughter, her out-of-law partner, and our four-year-old granddaughter are returning next weekend from traveling around the country and visiting other grandparents.

I will have to see if RG has been seduced into thinking more highly of other grandparents. It is in a grandparent’s job description that we are supposed to spoil grandchildren. On the other hand, my family has never been real big on spoiled children, so we only spoil RG a little tiny bit. She may consider the spoiling she got in Virginia and Colorado as much superior to Washington spoiling. If I get in a bad mood, though, she will chastize me.

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By: Karen O

Karen O — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:27:17 +0000

Random – So, by saying that you are in a good mood “for at least the rest of this weekend”, does that mean you’re planning to be in a bad mood for the week? I hope not!

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By: Random Name

Random Name — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:18:14 +0000

Karen and Victoria,

I will politely say that I am not convinced of the conclusion you draw. I am in a good mood and on good behavior for at least the rest of this weekend, so I will stop there.

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By: Victoria

Victoria — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:12:49 +0000

Random,

GOD’s plans are sometimes obvious. The LORD loves you Random, think about how much.

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By: Karen O

Karen O — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:06:36 +0000

Hey Random – I don’t suppose – being that you don’t much believe in God – that it occurred to you that your moving to your island was God’s way of giving you these neighbors for a purpose?

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By: momof5

momof5 — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:13:27 +0000

Back to the military community again–Dad was Air Force, and went on lots of extended TDYs. Mom felt very comfortable in the 70s participating in a babysitter co-op arrangement with other military wives, even new to the area. When a family watched another family’s kids, they earned points they could cash in for a babysitter. (Military didn’t earn much, so had to get creative.)

It seemed that the military community had a larger-than-usual concentration of foster parents, as well. Maybe it just seemed that way since my folks were foster parents and knew others who were as well…that’s certainly possible.

Taking care of each other was definitely part of the military life.

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By: Random Name

Random Name — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 04:07:49 +0000

My wife loves privacy and hates to hear or see neghbors. One way one stays married 42 years is to say “Yes, Dear,” when one spouse says, “Let’s move away from the city and from our neighbors.”

We now live about a quarter mile from our nearest neighbors. We are non-believers with a daughter who lives with her female partner and her partner’s four-year old daughter. Our neighbors our devout Christians and both worked (before retiring) for the Boy Scouts. They have had our daughter, her partner, and our granddaughter over to meet their chickens and ducks.

Today we met at a store and talked about our gardens in the middle of the store for half an hour. When we got home, the neighbor brought over a dozen eggs from her hens. My wife gave her a bunch of potatoes she had just dug out of the garden and invited them over for dinner on the weekend after this one. We say grace with them when we have dinner at their place, they omit it with us when they come over.

Sometimes the farther one gets from one’s neighbors the closer one gets. I have no explanation. Go figure.

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By: klasko

klasko — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:49:00 +0000

You are right, Michelle – we ARE practically twins!!

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By: michelle

michelle — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:43:55 +0000

I agree with you, Klasko. Perhaps it’s because we knew we were far from home and didn’t have anyone close to depend upon, we quickly made friends with our neighbors–many of whom remain my closest friends even though they’re widely flung around the country now(with a big concentration in the DC area near you).

But I think that’s part of HSK’s point–we needed each other. I spent the night at my next door neighbor’s house three weeks after she moved in because she had a baby in the middle of the night and they had to leave two children sleeping. I wouldn’t dream of that in my current neighborhood–though everyone is friendly.

The civilian world felt a lot colder than the military world, and a lot less friendly. Strange, that. I find, however, I’m fascinated by the families at our church who have been there 30+ years and watched their children grow up together. They have graciously offered to help anytime I need something–and I’m thankful.

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By: Cheryl D.

Cheryl D. — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:00:19 +0000

Scroop Moth,

I’m willing to bet that poor neighborhoods have more SAHM’s–families that aren’t living beyond their means.

Yes, walking a dog does help one get to know neighbors. I know a good number of mine, for various reasons (I work for one), but I don’t even know the first name of one lady catty-corner across the street from me whom I’ve been waving at for five years if we both happen to be in our front yards at the same time.

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