What Mowing Taught me About My Community

 

Neighbors have been a subject on my mind for decades. Growing up in a small midwestern town with a population of 1200, I knew my neighbors. I rode bikes with my neighbors and played whiffle ball in a nearby empty lot with my neighbors. I went to church with my neighbors, went to school with my neighbors, and did business with my neighbors. I even went to a neighbor's house to eat chocolate chip cookies when I got in trouble at home. That was because my grandparents were one of my neighbors!

I mowed my neighbor's yards when I started my lawn mowing business in seventh grade (pictured here with my mower and trailer in 1979). I mowed 10 of my neighbors' yards, to be exact. Three of them were in a row (now that was a tremendous mowing experience). I like to think my neighbors got a great deal – a well-mowed yard for $5 at first and later $10 – but I also learned a lot about business, planning ahead, and my neighbors. One of my clients was the former Mayor of the town.

It was common to mow a yard and be stopped by a driver from out of town wanting directions to a certain address (this was before GPS of course). I can still hear those conversations. They went something like this.

Driver: “Hey kid, can you tell me where 1234 Jackson Street is?”

Me: “No. I don’t know any addresses but my own. But who are you looking for?”

Driver: “Looking for Earl James.”

Me: “Oh sure, they are down the street 200 yards, turn left at the stop sign, they live in the fourth brown house on the right … “

You get the point.

Even some of the earliest stories I wrote in English class at school were about neighbors. My first short story in eighth grade dealt with a mysterious neighbor who, on move-in day, unloaded cages of animals and laboratory equipment. The story went downhill from there, but it is evident that I understood that we kept a close eye on our neighbors. And that there were sometimes great stories there! Even though I know none of my neighbors were creating half-man half-beast creatures in their basement with the help of a hunchbacked assistant like in my short story.

My first story in high school to be published was about two men in a pool hall watching and talking about a high schooler who ran around town for fun and down Main Street. They shared memories, connected relationships, and discussed the business of neighbors. By the end of the story, they also realize that the running kid is now the man running in the Olympics on television at the pool hall.

Neighbors are, for good and bad, an essential part of our lives and the lives of our families. You can pick your friends, but you cannot pick your neighbors! But at the same time, your address is not an accident. Neighbors are in your unique sphere of influence!

We each make daily choices about the type of neighbor we will be. Are we going to make a positive impact on those around us, on our neighbors and community, or a negative impact? 

Are we gonna put more effort into watching TV or developing relationships? I consider that a negative impact if we have no impact on our neighbors because we have no involvement and no connection. There is no way we can be neutral on this subject. 

We were created for relationships and face-to-face connections, and apathy does neither. Apathy is also not love. You have to care!

As I have said and spoken on before, it is time for the engaged neighbors to stand up and be counted. Join or start a club, invite neighbors to your garage, turn off the television, and go to the front yard. Just reach out and connect with your neighbors. We need engaged neighbors who will stand up!

MORE INFORMATION

Have you taken the Engaged Neighbor pledge? The pledge outlines five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com. Individuals who take the pledge do get special privileges and get invited to future events online and in person. Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.