Looking for Good Neighbors

Looking for Good Neighbors

Good environments for living

Good environments for living do not only contain comfortable places, but they also need to contain good neighbors. Creating good neighbors might be more difficult than creating comfortable homes. Therefore, looking for good ones with whom we can live in peace is a simpler approach. Good neighbors possess manners, and they know how to adjust themselves to other ’s cultures. We must not only expect others to be our good neighbors, but we must be good neighbors as well. Basically, good neighbors are somewhat good people, and good people usually have good teachers or mentors in their lives telling them to behave well.

A few years ago while I was doing my Ph.D., there was a friend who came to the office with panda-eyes or panda syndrome (black rings around the eyes because of sleeplessness or restlessness). She started complaining with me how the two neighbors who lived on the second floor of her apartment complex got up very early in the morning and walked very loudly causing her to lose sleep.

conflicting of their laundry

Two single moms whose apartments were across the hall from each other had an unbelievable fight because of the conflicting of their laundry schedules. I said “unbelievable fights” because one called the other with a nasty name. And the other one was very angry too and reported to the apartment manager how rude the other woman was. There were consequently unbelievable fights from the laundry conflict that I will not mention here. It was very silly whenever I look back at the fight and its cause.

The problem of the neighbors with toe heavy footstep was not difficult to solve. I just asked them politely to walk more lightly and showed sympathy by turning the major cause of the noise problem to the building’s material construction. And the neighbors were polite enough to promise that they would walk more quietly.

Good neighbors possess manners

The second case was more difficult to solve. Both single moms were in charge of everything in their families. Both thought they were right and that the other had caused the problem. Looking for good neighbors is not as easy as I thought, especially, if unintentional problems occur. And the problems might change good manners into bitter manners.

At this point, I think “right understanding” of people’s behaviors, manners, and perspectives would be an initial help in creating civility among our neighbors.