by Belinda Beasley

Created on: October 09, 2009

There is an old adage that states "good fences make good neighbors". This implies that being neighbors involves setting up proper boundaries; physical boundaries, as well as less tangible ones. Fences, of course, create the physical boundaries that neighbors must adhere to, but there are other types of boundaries as well that help to you be a good neighbor.

Besides respecting a neighbor's physical property lines, it is also wise to respect their privacy. One simple way to ensure that you accomplish this is to make sure that you are not being too noisy, especially in the early morning or late night hours. If you have a dog, make sure that it doesn't bark all the time, which is annoying to those around you. Also, if you have a party or other gathering at your home, be careful that you are not making too much noise and disturb your neighbors. In addition to controlling the noise level, try to make sure that you are conscious of parking issues around your home. You don't want to block a neighbor's entrance into his or her home. A few years ago, one of my neighbors was going to have a small gathering at his house, which was next door to mine. Prior to his party, he knocked on my door to inform me of the date and the time of the party. He wanted to assure me that he would try to be as considerate as possible of the increased number of cars that would be parked on the street, and he also wanted to inform me that he would do his best to control the noise level during his party. This small gesture impressed me at the time, and made me realize that sometimes, the simple things help us to be good neighbors.

In today's society, we often don't know our closest neighbors and don't really think about how we could actually be a good neighbor. One small, simple way to be a good neighbor is to take the time to actually get to know those who live around you. You might be surprised and foster close friendships, or at the very least, an amicable relationship with someone else. If you get to know your neighbors, you can lend a helping hand with chores if they are ill or have gone on vacation. Checking the mail for them while they're out of town can be very helpful and is always appreciated. When you actually know your neighbors, you can often lend a listening ear when life gets rough. Sometimes, sending a card or taking them a home cooked meal would be appreciated. Most of these ideas take very little time and effort and help to create a sense of community within a neighborhood. It's not that difficult to be a good neighbor, and if we all tried to be good neighbors, the world might just be a little better place to live.

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