Being a good neighbor

My neighbor’s house got burglarized recently.

They were on vacation, and so the thieves were able to take their time inside late at night. The neighborhood wasn’t aware anything was going on until they’d left, with a lot of jewelry and other valuables. As of this writing, they haven’t been caught.

I’m not the kind of person who needs to be close with my neighbors. Some people want a cohesive bunch that does stuff together. That’s not me. I’m fine just being collegial. I wave, I say hi, I let them know if they left a garage door open. I keep to myself and hope they do the same. If we’d been suspicious about a burglary, though, I definitely would have called 911, but all of us were asleep.

I get along with the family that lives there. We occasionally chat about nothing in particular when getting the mail or rolling out the recycling can. I’m pretty sure they don’t vote the way I do, or have the same religious beliefs, but that’s life. I mean, isn’t that the point of America, or even civilization? That we’re all supposed to get along, accept our differences, and work together for the common good? In spite of politicians trying to push the country as an us-against-them narrative, the bottom line is that people are people, with more in common than not.

I and the rest of the block offered them any help we could provide in the aftermath. A burglary isn’t as serious as a house fire or medical emergency, but it’s still something that you want to assist with if possible.

A crisis, minor or major, is a good time to step back from the inflammatory rhetoric that television’s talking heads and pundits push. The majority of us live in peace with our neighbors, want to help them if needed, and don’t take any joy in their predicaments – regardless of what we each might believe. After all, next time it could be me.

Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz.

My neighbor’s house got burglarized recently.

They were on vacation, and so the thieves were able to take their time inside late at night. The neighborhood wasn’t aware anything was going on until they’d left, with a lot of jewelry and other valuables. As of this writing, they haven’t been caught.

I’m not the kind of person who needs to be close with my neighbors. Some people want a cohesive bunch that does stuff together. That’s not me. I’m fine just being collegial. I wave, I say hi, I let them know if they left a garage door open. I keep to myself and hope they do the same. If we’d been suspicious about a burglary, though, I definitely would have called 911, but all of us were asleep.

I get along with the family that lives there. We occasionally chat about nothing in particular when getting the mail or rolling out the recycling can. I’m pretty sure they don’t vote the way I do, or have the same religious beliefs, but that’s life. I mean, isn’t that the point of America, or even civilization? That we’re all supposed to get along, accept our differences, and work together for the common good? In spite of politicians trying to push the country as an us-against-them narrative, the bottom line is that people are people, with more in common than not.

I and the rest of the block offered them any help we could provide in the aftermath. A burglary isn’t as serious as a house fire or medical emergency, but it’s still something that you want to assist with if possible.

A crisis, minor or major, is a good time to step back from the inflammatory rhetoric that television’s talking heads and pundits push. The majority of us live in peace with our neighbors, want to help them if needed, and don’t take any joy in their predicaments – regardless of what we each might believe. After all, next time it could be me.

Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz.

My neighbor’s house got burglarized recently.

They were on vacation, and so the thieves were able to take their time inside late at night. The neighborhood wasn’t aware anything was going on until they’d left, with a lot of jewelry and other valuables. As of this writing, they haven’t been caught.

I’m not the kind of person who needs to be close with my neighbors. Some people want a cohesive bunch that does stuff together. That’s not me. I’m fine just being collegial. I wave, I say hi, I let them know if they left a garage door open. I keep to myself and hope they do the same. If we’d been suspicious about a burglary, though, I definitely would have called 911, but all of us were asleep.

I get along with the family that lives there. We occasionally chat about nothing in particular when getting the mail or rolling out the recycling can. I’m pretty sure they don’t vote the way I do, or have the same religious beliefs, but that’s life. I mean, isn’t that the point of America, or even civilization? That we’re all supposed to get along, accept our differences, and work together for the common good? In spite of politicians trying to push the country as an us-against-them narrative, the bottom line is that people are people, with more in common than not.

I and the rest of the block offered them any help we could provide in the aftermath. A burglary isn’t as serious as a house fire or medical emergency, but it’s still something that you want to assist with if possible.

A crisis, minor or major, is a good time to step back from the inflammatory rhetoric that television’s talking heads and pundits push. The majority of us live in peace with our neighbors, want to help them if needed, and don’t take any joy in their predicaments – regardless of what we each might believe. After all, next time it could be me.

Dr. Block has a solo neurology practice in Scottsdale, Ariz.