Forget about politics, who talks to their neighbors? Why or why not? nt

[babylonsister]

And how long have you lived where you live?
Do you have a history?

[lumberjack_jeff]

1. When I lived "in town"

I infrequently talked to my neighbors, but I seem to talk to them often now.

[cali]

2. My neighbors are my closest friends

I love 'em all to pieces. They're like family.

[NoodleBoy]

3. when I was more stable, I did more.

2 moves in 2 years, one I just completed, but last year I talked to my neighbors some despite knowing I wouldn't be there long, and this year I'm just starting to. Turns out the guy who cuts my hair lives in my neighborhood (the haircut place is also in the neighborhood), and some of my friends live nearby, and I'm bound to meet some at the local dog park.

I love living in a walkable neighborhood. Sometimes it feels like the only one in the state.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

4. On the left of us there is a very -I mean VERY small “starter“ home...

In the fifteen years we lived here, the house has changed hands five times. ...We never had a problem with any of the owners. My husband and I were always available to help out the newlyweds, or new parents who moved in.

On the right of us -is a different story. I don’t like them period. When we first moved into our home we were broke. We couldn’t afford to have our land surveyed so we took the word of these neighbors. It seems that our land is much bigger then we were led to believe. (Just to add, during the ‘04 elections, I placed a “Kerry” sign on my lawn; these neighbors then placed FIVE Bush signs on their lawn...then I went a bit over the edge...I printed out these huge anti-Bush signs and decorated my car with them. In hindsight, I must have seemed like a crazy person, -but I didn’t care, I felt so desperate to get the word out)

[walldude]

5. I live on a dead end

I know every one of my neighbors, and I am close friends with a few. We have a Vietnam Vet a couple doors down. Big Bush hater, he's retired, mostly hangs out all day and keeps an eye on the 'hood. I don't even need to lock my doors.

[monktonman]

6. Natural disasters are our friends

Seems to me most people in suburbia dont really get to know there neighbors
until something bad happens and they need help. (yeah I know, cynical)
I remember we had an ice storm a few years back.
I dont think my neighbors really cared for me as my appearence and lifestyle
arent exactly mainstream. Anyhow, the following morning there were tree's and power lines
down all over the place.
Tree's were knocked over and laying in the street, or on top of peoples houses.
looked like a war zone.
Funny how nice my neighbors were when they heard my chainsaw light up. I was the only
one in the hood to own one and as a result, the most popular guy around.
They were shocked to learn what a nice guy I can be and were even more so when I
refused to take money for helping them out.
Now I know every single person on that street and everyone is really pretty
cool to me. They send their kids over to hang out with mine and frequently invite me to dinner.
One of my neighbors, till this day, comes over every monday after
I leave for work and mows my lawn.
I've even got this neighbor lady whos trying to fix me up with some "nice girl"
so I dont have to raise my kids alone.
Pretty cool huh?
all for the buzz of a chainsaw

[babylonsister]

14. Wow! This is a sad thread, IYAM! That means, if you ask me. See you

tomorrow. :hi:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

7. don't know em.

Talk to the guy across the street sometimes who moved in last year cuz his folks want to buy my house.

I'm gonna move anyway outta the big city -- the property taxes are horrendous.

Lived here for 23 years and now the third generation is coming in. They all drive pickups and shiny SUVs. I don't talk politics. They all have Hispanic yard men. We do our own yard and it doesn't look perfect.

I don't think we have anything in common.

[Catherine Vincent]

8. I don't know them. I'm not very friendly.

But I wave and say hello when I see the neighbors outside.

[emilyg]

9. I'm in a cul-de-sac

Yes we talk. Most I like - 2 are dear friends. Been here 30+ yrs.

[ClayZ]

10. We have lived here 25 years...

Google < Snowflakes and Eggs > and you can read a story published on Common Dreams that I wrote about my neighbors.

[babylonsister]

13. No, dear. What happened with your neighbors? nt

[ClayZ]

18. They are so wonderful.

Bonnie had hip replacement and was out gardening within the month. Owen joined Veterans for Peace and speaks all over the state. He is actively fighting the recruitment battle and stands outside recruitment offices to try to talk with young people before they go in. He and Bonnie also visit Madigan Hospital and bring cookies and goodies to soldiers who are patients there.

Their new peace flag is still flying as the wind has tattered two by now. She brought 5 small stick peace flags for my grandkids to carry when they come to our local Friday peace stand. Bonnie and Owen go to many more Peace Marches and Vigils than we are able to.

They have an Impeach Bush poster stapled to the deck rail on their front porch.

They do not use the internet, so we print choice morsels of news,views, and political cartoons and take them across the street.

My husband finished "Armed Madhouse" and took it to Owen before I got to read it.

She brings baskets of whatever gets ripe in her garden, and sometimes cookies.

I have angels for neighbors.

[orleans]

19. great story about you and the folks across the street.

(eggs are a bitch, i know)

[samplegirl]

11. I've lived in my neighborhood...

Eleven years. I was just telling my girlfriend she was with me in the car that after 11 years the neighbor three doors up on the same side of the street as me has never waved or spoke a word to me ever. Not even in passing coming or going. The two neighbors directly across are nice both families have young children so they kinda buddy with each other but they are democrats and always comment on my flags bumper stickers and converse with me about the Home Schooling hypocrites who live beside me and also the next door up. I live in an upscale kinda yuppie neighborhood and when I moved here it was for the school system as my daughter was in high school. People are so much different now a day. Growing up neighbors were truly people who you could count on for just about anything. When you grew up in a middle class neighborhood everyone just seemed to connect and help one another out. I'm sure I didn't score to many points when I campaigned for Kerry...but now I'm sure many of doors I knocked at wish they would of heeded my words. It's really very hard to live among such a strange breed of people. Sometimes I feel out of place here and have never really felt at home and other times I feel like I have as much right to live here as they do if not more. The one neighbor worked for Halliburton and
started his own oil business and is a millionaire. He's not in your face with it very private but secretly I know what he's thinking about me. Anyway...one thing certain I am still myself and never put myself ahead of any human being and more important I never forgot where I came from, how I was raised,
how my parents struggled to make my life a little better and
indeed the person I am today because of it.

[NOLALady]

12. I've been here 20 years.

All of the neighbors around here "speak", Southern Style ya know.

Interestingly, the neighbors that I am closet to have a rebel flag license plate. At one time, they had it on a pole in their yard(Very Tacky). When my family visits they fear for my life, because they think its the Klan. :)
I explain that we've always been pretty close because our boys came up together. They have a set of twins who are the same ages as my son. They moved back here a couple of years after we did and we've had each others back from the start.

The only time we lock the doors is during a thunderstorm. The crazy dog tries to break in, as she's afraid of the noise.

[alittlelark]

15. 15 years here in Los Altos, CA.

We were welcomed to the neighborhood by a $%^$ who told us that our moving trucks couldn't use the side entrance to our property because it was a private road (shared by 5 other households)..... They had already unloaded most of our possessions - utilizing our driveway. We were welcomed by NO ONE. We have a neighbor whose dog knocked over an old lady I was walking with around dusk.... they tried to deny it to the nth degree - the cop said he didn't believe them - they finally admitted it. We have a fundamentalist family from Kansas that moved in when the Grandfather died, homeschooling their 5 girls 3 houses away - one of them set a fire in the backyard and likely killed one of our cats. The boy that lives next to them was the fire instigator. The ppl cati-corner will come over screaming (yes, screaming) if we park a car ACROSS THE STREET from their home - they once called the cops - the policeman explained that it was legal to park a car on the street for up to 5 days. The next time we needed to move a vehicle into that 'sacred spot' it was severely dinged.

My kids only play w/ the Mormon family at the end of the cul-de-sac.

We have had 2 good neighbors.... both left, due to the aforementioned and soooo much more.


I don't know WHY we are still here - hubby loves it (but is rarely here), I HATE IT!

It is some of the most valuable real estate in the country, but, DAMN!!!! I'd love to have some REAL neighbors!

[LibDemAlways]

16. I live in Southern California where people are

generally not friendly with their neighbors. I've lived in my house for 28 years, as have the people next door. I've probably said ten words to them in all that time. Nothing wrong with them - it's just that we have little in common. The people on the other side totally keep to themselves. They have a daughter who's now 18, but when she was little, I'd get worried about her because I never saw her outside or coming and going with her parents. It was strange. The guy directly across the street is the neighborhood busybody. He inherited a bunch of money and doesn't have to work, so he spends a lot of time chatting it up with everyone who happens by and getting to know everyone's business. His wife is the snottiest, most stuck-up bitch (tried to think of another word, but only that one does her justice) I've ever had the misfortune of running across. She wouldn't speak to me if her life depended on it. One evening my daughter and I were out for a walk and spotted Mr. and Mrs. Busybody coming toward us. A couple of houses before she would have to pass by us, Mrs. Busybody crossed the street to avoid saying hello. That's the kind of neighborhood I live in. Sucks.

[Raine]

17. I hated my neighbor's guts

we continually irritated each other and have had screaming arguments. On top of everything else he is a repub and put out the hughest chimp sign I ever saw. Then this past spring I had terrible trouble with the city and this neighbor came to my rescue and literally saved my home. I guess I will never be so quick to judge someone again. We still aren't best friends because our personalities just conflict but I will always be eternally grateful to him.

[mvccd1000]

20. My neighbors come to talk cars. :)

When I'm home in the states, I can usually be found working on one of my cars or motorcycles. I've met most of my neighbors when they've come over to shoot the breeze and talk about cars they used to have, or want to get. I also usually do little things like help out with brake jobs or oil changes if they want to try to tackle that stuff at home, but don't have the tools or knowledge.

Seems to be a pretty good ice-breaker. :)

[ThinkFoward]

no history...

...and when meeting people i usually put politics aside. i talk to the neighbors and we never discuss politics. and my inner circle of friends usually hold the same simple beliefs as i do, as do my family.

[PDenton]

21. My neigbors are worthless sacks of crap

I am closer to people 1400 miles away than right next door.

My neighbors are Rethug-voting soccer moms and dads. Nauseating people for the most part who have never given a moments contemplation on anything, wheather it is popping out more kids or their political affiliation. Those trite little yellow stickers are everywhere on their SUV's. Only a few minorities live in the neighborhood. Crime is going up, too. I don't own the house, just live in it with my parents.

[B Calm]

22. I live out in the country. I know all my neighbors, especially their kids.

I'm the only neighbor with a great swimming/fishing pond.