What's Your Next-Door Neighbor Story?
Everybody needs good Neighbours...
I've always had such luck with my neighbours. Being a good one and having good ones means that I'm fortunate enough to have had either respectful co-existences or actual proper friendships with them.
Wendy and LuLu [chihuahua] in the townhouse behind me where I used to live. Still friends. Still catch up. Wonderful, caring and kind woman with a bad back.
Paul, Cassandra, Ripple and Cindy [two Maltese terriers] recently moved up north. On the one occasion I had a rowdy group of friends visit me at 4 in the morning - Paul heard one of the boys commiserate about the fact that there was no beer and knocked on the door with a case and a cold six pack. No payment required. A gift! No complaint either!
The Gay Couple [with two cocker spaniels] who lived next door: rescued my cat on many occasions and helped design a barricade to prevent him from getting across the patio to their place. Refused offers to reimburse for food the cat ate whilst their dogs trembled in fear at the feline menace!
Spiro [the Greek] who would hose down our front pathway to help keep it clean and trim the edges for us when we weren't home.
Alma [the Italian Nonna] who loved our parties and always offered us food. "I love it when you kids-a-maka-da-noise!" I quietly pulled her aside one day and asked her whether she really did mind and was she just being polite. She explained that her husband suffered from a complete loss of hearing and slight dementia so, it was always comforting to her to hear our laughs and our music. I just hugged her so tightly. She needed it.
And then growing up, I always got on well with my neighbours... babysitting and visiting [when young enough to impose without realising it! ha!] Call me lucky and I will agree.
Even now, the man below me is a singer like me and sings and practises till all hours. So, on the times I need to make noise, I do so with the understanding that there are no limits to the noise I can create [except, I'm better at sleeping in than he is and don't practise at 7am]. Still, he's my neighbour and its cool.
by Have a Next-Door Neighbor Story?
As part of our new webcomic, Next-Door Neighbor, we thought it appropriate to have a little contest. Tell us your best true next-door neighbor story, and the winning tale will be matched with an artist and transformed into a webcomic and included as the final installment of Next-Door Neighbor.
About Next-Door Neighbor
No matter how close or how far, we all live next to someone, and we all have a Next-Door Neighbor story. With that in mind, editor Dean Haspiel asked some of his favorite storytellers and cartoonists to create their favorite NDN stories so we could share them with you.
The Fine Print & Contest Rules
By submitting an entry, you are granting SMITH the right to reprint or republish that entry online or in print, as well as make any necessary edits. See SMITH's terms of service for complete details.
This contest ends September 1, 2008. Prizes are not redeemable for cash and must be accepted as awarded. Winners are decided at the discretion of SMITH judges and all decisions are final. SMITH reserves the right to change the contest rules. Enter as often as you want. SMITH reserves the right to reprint or republish all entries.
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