Thursday, March 01, 2007

Neighbors.

Growing up my famiily lived in a really tiny little place called Eloise, right outside Winter Haven, FL. We lived in the kind of place where neighbors looked out for each other and we, as children knew if we needed someone, we could always run to a neighbor's house.

Summers were spent bar-be-quing, playing under the waterhose and picking peas in Plant City. After we picked peas all of the neighbor ladies and kids would sit under our covered carport shelling peas (don't forget the snaps mind you). I do not have alot of memories from when I was younger ... but this is one memory that is very vivid for me. I remember those shelling peas days with the rain just coming down in buckets. Mama, Rachel Garrett, Judy Brooks, Margie McKee, Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Smith and all of us kids. Wow ... what a memory.

I also remember the day in 1976 my mother took a turn for the worst when she was at Shand's Hospital in Gainesville ... my sister Joy and my mother's best friend Rachel Garrett had taken me shopping for school clothes. We came home and all of those ladies were in our house cleaning and cooking, they had gotten the message before we did. They were there for us, when we needed them most.

You know ... that's the environment that I wish Griffin to grow up in.

I am lucky to have two very close neighbors that I call my friends. I know if I was ever in a situation where I needed them ... a simple call asking for help is all it would take. The sad thing is ... I really do not know my other neighbors. Even my closest neighbor that lives right next door ... we've lived here almost four years and I've never even been on her front porch.

I wish for more neighbors that I can call my friends. The kind of neighbors that we can get together to barbeque with. The kind of neighbors that you can call on the spur of the moment, just to drop in for a quick hello.

I realized it's a much different world than when I was a kid ... but really ... I do not think I'm asking for too much.

11 comments:

Betty Jo said...

Oh Missy! This is like reading about my own childhood. I grew up in Auburndale and remember so well the pea-shelling sessions on our front porch with our neighbors. Playing in the sprinklers on hot afternoons. After high school I worked for a while at Chain of Lakes Groves owned by the Snivleys. I think it was located in Eloise if I remember right. Unfortunately the only neighbors I have that I know now are my son and family. Once we get back to the country though, I have a feeling that will change, and I'll get to know some of them there. xoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Oh so lucky you are to have good neighbors...not me

Cassandra said...

Maybe once we buy a home we'll get good neighbors. We don't have good neighbors now...we're just renters so I don't have much motivation to make friends here since I know it's temporary.

Anonymous said...

Neighbors......ya' know MIssy, I read your blog today and it was such a shocker to hear you say you wish for neighbors you can rely on etc. We have lived in a rental house for going on 8 years now, and although we do rent , share a house with 2 other tennants, we never had such great neighbors until this past year. We share a semi-detach house right here in town, but still considered country folks (like yourself now)...nothing major city type. We have always had such horrifying neighbors, ones next to us in the house next door, horrible neighbors behind us in a small apt. which is also attached to our house, but now.....we have thE BEST NEIGHBORS in the world.
Neighbors that I can call on the phone if I know I left the house and felt something was wrong. We sometime don't even lock our back door, and my neighbors can walk in freely and check something for us. I thought I left a candle lit the other weekend and felt I could call Heather and she went right over and checked for me. My neighbors out back if we need something, we can walk right in and ask, don't even knock (although I still do)......so I understand what you mean about NEIGHBORS, its wonderful to have someone like a family that lives on both sides .......I couldn't ask for better neighbors than I have now. Wendy-

Wendy said...

I love my neighborhood memories when I was a child,we could go anywhere as long as we were home by dark. Thanks for the memory!

Sounds like you need to plan a neighborhood bar-b-que for the spring.

Get going making those invited young lady. You can do it, get the neighbors you know to help!

Wendy Myers

Nonie said...

That would be so nice if people gave of themselves more. We would have better communities. I miss not having close neighbors also..But them some of them can become nightmares, I had the nightmare ones..

Sue said...

I wish I had some good memories of neighbors when I was a child...but having parents that were alcholics I don't. Mine are sort of the oppisite of yours. Here in TN we have one neighbor that we can count on. She lives across the street and is such a lovely person. She and her hubby are younger than laura & Jeff and have small children (4) but we do quite a few things with them. jeff goes to the Titan's games with David and Michelle is always helping out with Rachel or spending time at the Party Palace helping laura out. We spent Thanksgiving with them last year and have plans to have them here again for Easter like we did last year. I have not met any of the other neighbors but we do "wave" hello when we see them outside at the mailbox at times.
I agree with Wendy, you need to plan a "Get to know your neighbor" bar b que! I know once they meet you they'll love you like all of us do!

Andi said...

Missy, where you grew up is just a "stone's throw" from where we call home in Winter Haven. I basically know the neighbors...know their names...wave to them when they drive or walk by...but we're not "neighbors" like I remember growing up in Indiana in the 50's. Now just a few minutes ago the little neighbor girl and her Dad came to the door with our Girl Scout cookies. They stopped in for a minute but had to get back to delivering cookies. I think more Mom's work now and people don't take the time to get to know each other. Really is a shame. What you described was a "good thing".

Cheryl Wray said...

I love reading your memories of childhood! I also grew up in a smaller town in a small neighborhood where all the kids played together in the summer, had snowball fights in the winter. A really good place to grow up!
We live in a pretty medium-sized town (outside a big city) where most people still know each other. I think it's so important to raise your children in such an environment!
Great post!!

Susie Q said...

I know that feeling dear Missy. I had the sort of neighborhood you describe when I was growing up. Ogf course, a few years before you! *laugh* Late 50s and 60s...everyone knew one another and counted on one another.
It is seldom like that now sadly. One reason we stay here in this house is that we LOVE most of our neighbors. There are no bad ones...a few we do not know as well, like from on down the street, but it is a real great place. It would be hard to duplicate and we feel grateful for it.

This was a wonderfu post.

Love and hugs to you all,
Sue

Sheila said...

Missy, have you thought of possibly starting a block party? We have one here every year. Someone has to be in charge, but maybe you could get your other 2 neighbors that you know really well to help organize it? First you would pass our flyers to all the houses advising of a planning meeting - and then everyone could decide on a date to have it, everyone could bring a dish to share, plan games for the children, etc. It's a thought! And it's a great way to get to know the neighbors and become good friends with them!