Seems since we were able to mobile ourselves on two legs our species wander. We are not happy at where we are and must go on adventures to see what is over that hill or around that tree.
If we weren’t so curious we wouldn’t figure out how to make gunpowder, liquor, atomic energy or opioid.
We wander around this blue marble in search for something different.
On good days we interact with each other and come up with productive ideas. On bad days we kill each other.
When the neighbor moves in next-door do you wonder who they are and why are they there? You hide behind the blinds and see what sort of furniture is being moved in as a sign of their personal taste. Check out their car and count their children. Do they have pets?
The best of us will extend a hand and welcome someone who could afford to purchase or rent one of these buildings.
Small talk over a fence can discover where they work, where they worship, a brief family background but most important…. why are they here?
All the self-righteous biases will judge the new neighbor without fully knowing the whole background.
Do they want to know why you are here? Do they ask your ancestry?
Are these people just migrating and will leave soon or are they here to stay? Will they take over the land and ‘colonize’ the neighborhood?
If they are refugees, what are they running from? Are they running from family? Are they running from oppression? Are they running away from money problems? Are they running from the law?
If you see the same faces there is the assumption that they live nearby or they are casing the neighborhood. The changes of parked cars are usually a sign of new neighbors. Landscape changes or fence installations indicate new neighbors.
When a shop on the street changes the name with a different awning and window display, the proprietor has migrated. The bus driver or plumber or barista doesn’t look like former neighbors who went to school, but are they migrants or refugees? Does it matter?
When you meet a stranger do you ask “Where did you come from and why are you here?” Do you ask about the political affiliation or religious beliefs? Do you ask what their favorite sexual position is or if they own a gun?
When you take a vacation, do they ask your name? Do they smile as you babble about why you are here and where you came from while they process your credit card?
When our forefathers landed on this shore, did we exchange business cards?
Living in the same location, rather than wandering off to find romance or financial opportunities or hopes that the grass is greener on the other side, there have been many who have come and gone. Some were invisible. Some were obnoxious. Some were just passing through. Some of them stayed.
“Hello neighbor”
No comments:
Post a Comment