Good Neighbours

I live in a small housing estate where people know some of their neighbours. A few years ago a new couple moved in across the road. This was the first time a house had changed hands since we began living here. We decided it would be a nice gesture to bring them something small to welcome them to the neighbourhood. I was ‘volunteered’ to go over and knock the door.

Believe it or not, I turned around twice before I had the courage to walk up their drive-way. I began thinking of all kinds of reasons not to call; ’Maybe they wanted to be left alone, – maybe they would think we were busy-bodies, maybe someone else would have already welcomed them’.

I was shocked at how difficult it was to do something so simple, that in pre celtic-tiger Ireland would have just been the natural neighbourly thing to do.

Brian Lacey