There's a story behind everyone.

In becoming better acquainted with my neighbors, I may be learning too much. Things I might not want to know. Marriage break-ups. Serious illnesses. Alcohol abusers. Some generally very unhappy people. Yes, my neighbors probably are typical of society. A blend of good and bad stuff. Happy people. Unhappy people. Maybe I was better off wearing blinders. Paying little heed to what's going on. Not really knowing my neighbors. But hey, I'm on a mission. To get a better feel for the neighborhood. And for the people in it. Not that I can do anything about it. Those leading troubled lives have to find their own routes to happiness, or to a better life. I'm one of the fortunate. I really don't have serious problems. At least, not at the moment. But I'm discovering people with serious problems. Mental. Physical. Emotional. I could write a book. About getting to know one's neighbors and one's neighborhood. In some ways, I suppose, my neighborhood is unique. But in other ways, I suppose it's much like any other neighborhood. With most people just going about their business. And really not paying much attention to each other. Because they are focused on their own problems. In their own families. Amazing what I discover. By engaging neighbors in conversation. By socializing. They volunteer lots of information. Maybe they talk because they sense I'm listening. And because I'm inquisitive. I learn a lot from people that talk about other people. More than they talk about themselves. Very informative. Very enlightening. But also entertaining. There's a story behind everyone. Yes, very personal stories. --Jim Broede