everybody needs good neighbours

…with a little understanding, you can find the perfect blend.

I want everyone to have neighbours like mine.

I wasn’t always so enthusiastic about my fellow residents of our Westmere unit complex, or compound as I called it.  Coming from the conservative reaches of the North Shore, I found my neighbour a tad unusual sitting outside most of the time, smoking, clothed in holey trackies and talking sweetly to his multitude of cats.

But after many captivating conversations with holey trackpant neighbour along with other neighbour run-ins, I realised that having a blend of characters in your neighbourhood makes life that much more interesting.  Not only do I have the pleasure of living next door to a poet, there is also a hardcore gamer, an established journalist/filmmaker and a ridiculously fit swimmer/sailor/cyclist/runner/all-round energizer bunny.  And be very jealous – previously we had fudge makers too.    There is also of course the seriously introverted neighbour above us, who used to play one song on repeat all day and night, but we barely see or hear from him anymore.

More recently, holey trackpant neighbour has put forward the idea of a bbq gathering for our assorted blend of neighbours in the coming weeks and a new communal vege plot has just been established.

I used to hate hearing noises in my family home.  So much so, that I would pull the covers over my head for the remainder of the night, sweating like crazy and wishing for the morning.  Now when I hear the gamer’s computed-generated shooting sounds above me, I actually feel safe and sound knowing that I could call on the bunch of people living around me for some help, a phonecall for when I’ve locked myself out of the house again, or even a cup of sugar.