Melica Niccole

What makes a good neighbor?

When I think about neighbors, I think about Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood and his famous quote, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” I think about the faithful trolley that made its way around the area bringing friends and news to Mr. Roger. This was a great example of a neighborhood and great neighbors.

This example also brings me to thinking about my neighborhood as a child and all the prime examples we had of good neighbors. Take Mr. Leo for example. As a child I would race up and down the street with my bicycle. Ride it until the wheels fell off as some would say. Mr. Leo became the place where he pumped our tires for free. I never realized how much of a good neighbor he was being until I grew up.

Then we had the lady we called “Nosey Rosie.” As a child we thought she was spying on us and disturbing our fun by telling our mother all the mischief we had gotten into. To our surprise, she was actually watching over us. protecting us without us even knowing it.

Then we had Mrs. Sarah. “The ball snatcher” we would say. Ever time our ball landed in her yard, she kept it or gave it back with a few choice words. Kicking a ball in her yard was a lesson well learned.

Just today, I greeted someone by saying hey neighbor. This was a person at my employer’s office. We considered each other neighbors because on certain days of the week, our offices were right across from each other. A neighbor and neighborhood is what you make it. If you choose peace, it will sometimes give you peace, chaos, with a little bit of love. Still be a good neighbor no matter what. You never know the trials and tribulations others are going through.