Neighbors
“Do to your neighbor, what you would
like your neighbor do to you”. For most people who live in communities, knowing
something about our neighbor and create a civil communication with them that is
very common. Neighbors can be an extension of family, a friend one can ask for help
and one to share culture in the case of living in a diverse community. It is
easy to think about neighbors in one community, but applying the same rules to
our neighboring countries, should not be different. First, people should treat
my neighbors as a part of my family or at least part of my relatives; for
instance, help each other’s families in case of emergency. It is very important
even in case of financial need. For instance, if a neighbor needs to borrow
money, and that money will be very difficult to be repaid, even those,
neighbors should help each other. It does not matter in what locations they
live to be able to receive help. Sometimes, it seems that my neighbor from the North
does not need any help, and sometimes it seems my neighbor from South is one
always in need. Having rich or poor neighbors should not be the imposition of
any distinction between them. One can be rich in money and poor in behavior. Suddenly,
these thought reminds me my own neighborhood.
Another way
to be a good neighbor is to feel some confidence in asking for some help. In a
small community, friends can borrow some tools to fix their house, ask some
ingredients from a family culinary secret in case of a special occasion, or watch
over their house in case of an unexpected trip. Treating close neighbors like a
friend should be the same for friends who live thousands of miles away. For
example, an open front door of a good neighbor’s house is the good way to show
friends they are welcome, no matter from where they come, either if they live
in the South, or in the North.
Sharing
lives, traditions, and cultures is a very pleasant thing to do with good
neighbors. One could get involved into different music styles, learn a few
words in some different dialects or languages, and understand the history and
geography from neighbor’s background. Once cultures and history could be shared
and understood, complaints about any land ownership could disappear. There will
be no more adventurous discoverer or destructive invaders. Everyone can enjoy his
or hers neighbor’s home town geography. For example, mountains covered by snow
will be appreciated in the same way as empty deserts with cactus. It is
beautiful to hear my neighbor from the South playing guitars with his or her
twelve friends. When they sing, it seems like crying their drama in life. The same
beauty I can see from the folk music comes from my neighbor from the North.
They play the soft sound of a folk music that probably comes from the
mountains. I wonder if the both music styles can get together, the situation would
be great!
In sadness, people still need tall
walls, wired fences, dense forests, and camouflage clothes to separate what at
the beginning was just one big neighborhood community. Accepting different
cultures, seeing neighbors as a friend, and treating them like a family could
give our community a good example to the future.
