Won’t you be my neighbor
by Wendy Jans on October 18, 2011
Today I was taking my daily walk with Mira through the neighborhood. I have a route that has become a habit and I realized today, as I fixated on the fact that I always have a sweat mustache within 2 minutes of stepping outside, just how many friends’ houses I pass on that route. Amanda and David who brought us pizza and brownies when Mira was born, Duane, who went sledding with us last winter, Todd and Larry, who bring over fresh honey from their mini bee farm, Kate and Mike who let me shoot a music video in their beautiful home… the list goes on. I wondered if there even was a route that wouldn’t take me past neighbors that are also friends. And I realized that no, there really isn’t.
And then I realized how awesome that is.
I love knowing my neighbors as much as I love my neighborhood. I love the fact that during my walk today, I stopped to have a 10-minute conversation with friendly people I didn’t know… I love that our neighborhood includes resident 80’s dude “Toddzilla”, who has this crazy/awesome 80’s faux-hawk and drives a spotless black vintage corvette with the top down (and his faux-hawk never moves)… I love that a car passed by with three dogs of assorted sizes hanging happily out the windows – the wind blowing back their fur like they were in a shampoo commercial… I love the fact that I read an article today about how k.d. lang just co-wrote with a (former) member of Guster (both musicians I really like), at his house here in East Nashville.
Regardless of where you live, If you don’t know your neighbor, bring ‘em a pie. Because being a part of your neighborhood is what makes it feel like home – and knowing your neighbors is really rad.
And because everyone likes pie.
3 comments
I especially like pie. As you know I am a big fan of yours, the people you list in this post, AND East Nashville. Great job WJ.
by Eric C. Jans on 10/18/2011 at 9:50 am. #
you do have a cool neighborhood! i would live in it.
the first christmas in our house, i made cinnamon swirl bread for some of our neighbors. it was a stressful day, and i was trying to do too much. after delivering all the bread and joy, i went home and cut into the 1 loaf i’d saved for us. it was essentially raw. i gave all of our neighbors raw bread dough. and possibly salmonella poisoning.
by patresa on 10/18/2011 at 5:26 pm. #
I’m sure your neighbors got over their poisoning quickly and knew that it’s the thought that counts. You know what’s funny, tho? We did literally the SAME thing one year – made cinnamon swirl bread and gave it to some people and then realized it was raw in the middle!
by Wendy Jans on 10/19/2011 at 7:57 am. #