Obviously I’m behind on my DVR (the greatest invention ever, besides Netflix) but there are so many shows on television, it’s hard to watch them all. I record them all and then watch when I can. I usually avoid the water cooler talk the next day during the season, but oh well there is always something a little bit interesting in real life going on that we can talk about. Like...neighborhoods. On the show, you have a six wome well, five now (sorry, if you haven’t watched yet, but I won’t say who died) and they are so different. One is obsessive/controlling, the other struggles with her husband to keep her family together, one is selfish but really does have a heart but money comes first in all situations and the other is always making a bad decision in men, parenting and life in general. These characters all work against each other but at the same time they all come together when needed. And when it’s needed...whew...it’s needed. Ok...so I know it’s television and the writers create this extreme drama for the audience but is it that extreme?
For one, neighborhoods are not like they used to be when I was growing up. We knew everybody in the whole neighborhood, not just the street we lived on, but the surrounding streets as well. And when I say "we" knew the whole neighborhood, that’s exactly what I mean. It wasn’t just the kids playing together, the parents knew the parents, we had picnics in the backyard, the parents would take walks while the kids rode their bikes beside them, and it would last forever because we would stop and talk to everyone that was outside. It was great. Of course, there was neighborhood gossip and something dramatic would happen to one family in the neighborhood, but we all supported each other and took care of each other no matter what. Second and most important...seriously...neighborhoods are not that good looking. Seriously!! The husbands aren't that hot...the wives/and the single women don't walk their dogs in high heels and minis. Seriously!!
I look at my neighborhood now, there is me, single, 1 dog, 2 annoying cats, next door single mother with three boys, next to her two elderly sisters, next to her a couple raising their grandson...I could go on but you get what I’m saying. Every single one of these people have a story, they are all different, but I really don’t know anything about them at all…not even gossip. Is it right to take cookies anymore, just because you want to...they probably wouldn’t eat them...who knows how SHE makes her cookies. If one of the neighbor’s are having a picnic would they frown if I brought a dish over and joined, just because I wanted to hang out with some people on my street. Ok...that would be weird, but we wouldn’t have cared if that happened when I was growing up. We embraced it, especially people that we really didn’t know.
I was in Kroger the other day and saw my neighbors across the street, of course they didn’t recognize me at first (I’ve lived here for two years), we chit chatted about the weather and normal casual conversation and then the wife told me something really personal that was going on in their family. I couldn’t believe it, they barely recognized me but they were letting me in on a little secret, so of course I shared a little of my closet and right there surrounded by milk and cheese we bonded. The next day, I was laying mulch underneath the tree out front (seriously) and one of the guys down the street, whom I don’t know his name and he never waves when he passes by, stopped to ask if I needed any help. It was great, so maybe some part of “the neighborhood” hasn’t changed. We’re just a little bit cautious these days who we open our door to. Because in reality there is a lot of drama, we don’t trust people like we used to, we have been used and abused and don’t want to smile all the time, people have histories they aren’t so proud of and especially don’t want to share these stories to their friendly neighbor.But when we need someone to talk to or a simply a helping hand we are there for each other as neighbors. Kind of sounds like a show I love to watch!!
Heather K.
For one, neighborhoods are not like they used to be when I was growing up. We knew everybody in the whole neighborhood, not just the street we lived on, but the surrounding streets as well. And when I say "we" knew the whole neighborhood, that’s exactly what I mean. It wasn’t just the kids playing together, the parents knew the parents, we had picnics in the backyard, the parents would take walks while the kids rode their bikes beside them, and it would last forever because we would stop and talk to everyone that was outside. It was great. Of course, there was neighborhood gossip and something dramatic would happen to one family in the neighborhood, but we all supported each other and took care of each other no matter what. Second and most important...seriously...neighborhoods are not that good looking. Seriously!! The husbands aren't that hot...the wives/and the single women don't walk their dogs in high heels and minis. Seriously!!
I look at my neighborhood now, there is me, single, 1 dog, 2 annoying cats, next door single mother with three boys, next to her two elderly sisters, next to her a couple raising their grandson...I could go on but you get what I’m saying. Every single one of these people have a story, they are all different, but I really don’t know anything about them at all…not even gossip. Is it right to take cookies anymore, just because you want to...they probably wouldn’t eat them...who knows how SHE makes her cookies. If one of the neighbor’s are having a picnic would they frown if I brought a dish over and joined, just because I wanted to hang out with some people on my street. Ok...that would be weird, but we wouldn’t have cared if that happened when I was growing up. We embraced it, especially people that we really didn’t know.
I was in Kroger the other day and saw my neighbors across the street, of course they didn’t recognize me at first (I’ve lived here for two years), we chit chatted about the weather and normal casual conversation and then the wife told me something really personal that was going on in their family. I couldn’t believe it, they barely recognized me but they were letting me in on a little secret, so of course I shared a little of my closet and right there surrounded by milk and cheese we bonded. The next day, I was laying mulch underneath the tree out front (seriously) and one of the guys down the street, whom I don’t know his name and he never waves when he passes by, stopped to ask if I needed any help. It was great, so maybe some part of “the neighborhood” hasn’t changed. We’re just a little bit cautious these days who we open our door to. Because in reality there is a lot of drama, we don’t trust people like we used to, we have been used and abused and don’t want to smile all the time, people have histories they aren’t so proud of and especially don’t want to share these stories to their friendly neighbor.But when we need someone to talk to or a simply a helping hand we are there for each other as neighbors. Kind of sounds like a show I love to watch!!
Heather K.
2 comments:
The comment function doesn't work well. I'm not sure if this posted before, but...
I miss the way our old hood was back in the day. Remember when we'd stay out 'til the very last second before our parents called us in because there were 15 kids outside to play with? That would never happen now. Parents are scared to let their kids out.
There's a comic who does a bit about how his Dad would come in at the crack of dawn on a Saturday, proclaim that it was going to be a nice day so he should go outside. Then he wouldn't show back up until 9 at night. His Dad would ask if he was back for the night and he'd say "No, just came in to get a flashlight..." That's totally how my childhood was. That's because we DID know the neighbors.
I knew you would comment on this. I thought about you when I wrote it. We did have so much fun in the old hood. Awww. I miss it.
Heather
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