Who are the people in your neighborhood? If you don’t know, today is a good day to find out. It’s National Good Neighbor Day! An actual holiday, it originated Montana. In 1970, Mrs. Becky (of Montana) had the notion that neighbors should be friends, or at least cordial to each other. She spoke to her Congressman Mike Mansfield, who got the notion endorsed by Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter, who then issued a proclamation along with several governors, taking that notion to the Senate. The notion was sponsored by Senator Max Baucus, and in 2003, the notion passed in the Senate. That is how a notion became a holiday.
Since all these folks went through great lengths from 1970-2003 to get this holiday on the books, I say we celebrate. Even if your neighbors are nosy peepers, your dreadful in-laws or the cat lady, I say celebrate. Wave at their binoculars, host a family dinner, compliment the cats, grin, and be nice. In my opinion, good neighbors are supposed to feel like distant relatives, you may not see them all the time, but you can depend on them to loan you sugar, a rake, or batteries. They’ll invite you over during a blackout and you’ll share your garden overflow with them. They’ll watch your house, collect your mail when you’re out of town and call the cops if they see a strange person on your porch. Some may have quirks, like grading how well you take out the trash, stopping you for short conversations that never end, and constant broccoli breath, but that’s why they’re distant relatives.
If you don’t know your neighbors, celebrate today by getting to know them. If you do know your neighbors and they’re good, give them a thank you card. If you do know your neighbors and they’re horrible, maybe list ways they can improve inside the thank you card. If you’re the jerk neighbor, now you know better, be better. Go home this evening, smile, wave, and…
Thees and Thous 