Neighbor Relations

Unless you’re blessed enough to reside in a rural location with a solid buffer zone, you have to deal with neighbors. It’s a necessary evil in a civil society, and as such, we should be as civil as we can. You may not feel the “Love thy neighbor” vibe as strongly towards some than towards others, but that’s the variety which spices life up. We build an integrated community by taking a simple adage to heart.

“Love thy neighbor” doesn’t really do it for me. I’m more of a “Live simply so others may simply live” kind of guy. When you’ve got an anti-social streak in you, acceptance and tolerance are far more reasonable and attainable. Love is a heavy lift. It really goes back to the Golden Rule. You go about life attempting not to bother anyone, in the hopes you’ll not be bothered in return.

That’s how I approach the people who share my building with me. I can deal with the recovering addict couple and their three kids. They’re trying to pick up the pieces, be responsible, and children under 5 are going to be loud. I can deal with the elderly drunk upstairs and the loud middle-aged woman who’s his friend, or caretaker, or something. The cops rarely get called and there’s only been one urination incident in the common area. I can even handle the codependent couple upstairs, especially when she’s in jail. Even when she’s knocking on my door at 3 AM asking for a cigarette and to charge her phone after a fight, I can just go back to bed and dream of a better life.