Yea, I guess my Neighborhood is.  In it, I know my neighbors.  Why?  We are not afraid to stand outside and do yardwork and talk. 

In it, I see people walking down the road.  And a man on a bicycle riding by with a child on the back, and yelling "Hi Mom" to the walking lady.  I see a father strolling his daughter.  I see many people walking their dogs and as they pass, saying Hi.  I suspect their dogs are not from this street, but from others around here.  It is (dare I say as I dont know) typical suburbia.  The streets are not straight throughs.  Unless you live here or on a side one, you are not going to use this as a cut through.

So people do not mind jogging, walking, walking dogs or bicycling on the street.  While we have a third mile of straight street, the only ones drag racing are the kids go karting.  The rest of us, we take it easy.  Knowing that the kids are chasing balls and some even skateboarding in the streets.

I look and read at the rest of the USA and wonder.  Are we immune?  Are we special?  Perhaps.  But I like my neighbors, the Koreans, the Japanese, the Moroccans, the Blacks, the Peruvians, and the Other Hispanics.  We exist together. Because there is no animosity or hatred here.  We exist together because we have a common interest.  Our neighborhood.

And yet I read where most dont know their neighbors.  And that is a real shame.  When my wife and I go out out town, they care for our cats.  When they have a problem, like my retired neighbor, we watch their house and take care of the mail.

We had a HS quarterback in the neighborhood just 2 years ago!  Starting on the school team!  (His mother still lives here, but jocks!) Now we have an engineer in the neighborhood!  Soon to be!  He is in the program at College.  And we have an Auto Mechanic in the neighborhood.  That has saved my wife's and my butt on a couple of occassions.

Neighbors.  They are not just for decoration any more either.  I am glad for mine.