I wanna feel more neighborly.

I made progress yesterday. And made acquaintances in the process. His name is Joe. And his wife is Erin. They walk their two purebred dogs through the neighborhood. Have been. At least for a year or two or three. But I never bothered to become acquainted. Just passed 'em by. And waved. And nodded. And maybe said 'hello.' Didn't bother to engage them in conversation. Didn't even know their names. Now I can call them Joe and Erin. And before long, I'll know their surname. And what Joe does for a living. And how long they've been married. And where they're from, originally. Won't be long, too, before I know lots of personal stuff. I've ignored my neighbors and neighborhood for too long. Maybe because it's too familiar. I've lived here a long time. And during that period, the neighborhood has changed. Dramatically in some ways. New faces. Oh, I suppose I know the old faces. Maybe 20 percent of the people living in a half-mile radius. But others are strangers. To the point that I don't even know their names. That's a shame. I'm starting to feel bad about it. So I'm gonna make changes. So that I feel good. Yes, I wanna feel more neighborly. --Jim Broede