Neighbors

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.