Yes. Right.
I spent my entire lunch on the phone with ADT [transferred 7 times, every name written down, and a letter to be written] because I was told 3 weeks ago that they were going to set someone else up to come out. This, however, is a story for another time [as seems fit, the Lord is putting me through the grinder right now in having to deal with people who are blatantly trying to rip me off].
The second visitor was actually a double whammy. I wish I would have responded more smartly, but instead probably seemed as some naive fellow who was out of place. Two older African American witnesses of Jehovah were standing at my door [straight from Kingdom Hall, no doubt] to share with invite me to a Jehovah's Witnesses conference being held next month where I can come [where I will not go as I am a witness to the Truth that is the Christ] to find out how Christ can help me to:
- improve family life
- deal with life's difficult problems
- draw closer to God
- oppose the Devil
- gain everlasting life
"Do you live here?"
"Yeah, we moved in about a month and a half ago."
"Oh, so you live in the house and not the neighborhood, right?"
"Excuse me?" [I find myself asking this a good bit these days, especially when people ask me something as peculiar as this]
"You live in the house, but not the neighborhood, right?"
I looked around. My neighbors all seemed to be looking my way - their bright neon clothing highlighting the fact that their skin was darker than mine. There were children, people I had smiled at, people I've had minimal conversations with [though conversations nonetheless]. There was Mona, she knocked on our door a few weeks ago asking if we had gotten the Sunday's paper and if we were finished with it - she then asked if she could have it. Standing in the door, seeing these people around me, the thought came as to whether or not they thought the same thing - that we've moved to the house but not into the neighborhood.
It's a difficult place, no doubt. I've tried to get out of the habit of saying, "South Philly," to be honest by saying "Point Breeze," when asked what neighborhood I live in. Right now though, I don't know if there are too many good neighborhoods in Philly. I sometimes wonder what is going through the minds of the younger guys when they look at me with a stern face. I sometimes wonder what is going through the minds of the older residents when they shine bright and welcoming smiles at me when I get home from work.
I wonder how I can get to know these people, and whether or not they want to know me as much as I want to know them.
"Oh," I laughed, "I live in the neighborhood - not just the house. I like my neighbors, they've all been very friendly."
"Well, you have a nice smile. You keep on smiling."
2 comments:
I hope they want to know you as much as you want to know them... I think people want to be known too, but its not that easy.
Jeff White said that one way he and his family bonded with their neighbors in Harlem was by playing with the neighborhood kids. (they had kids at the time also so it was a bit more natural... but still)
Kids are a good in. They love attention. And I'd bet if you're fun enough they'd talk about you to their parents. Who knows.
thats all I got... keep on truckin
qreyox
That's a good idea, and it may be a good in road. You've been here, so you know that there are a ton of kids on our street. As soon as I saw what you wrote, I thought "Maybe I can send out a letter offering free tutoring to all of my neighbors children."
It's an idea, thanks for the input!
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