When we were thinking of moving to our franch several years ago, our realtor showed us the fence dividing our land from our neighbors. We agreed that it’d be the first thing to fix. “Good fences make good neighbors,” we all knew, remembering Robert Frost’s famous poem “Mending Wall” and Carl Sandburg advising, “Love your neighbor as yourself; but don’t take down that fence.” Well, we didn’t get to repairing the fence right away, and three years later, it’s actually a little worse. A bad fence gives you many opportunities to interact with a neighbor. No doubt, you really get to know a neighbor when you are searching with flashlights late at night in your neighbor’s back several hundred acres for a cow that simply stepped over the leaning fence. Over the last few years, we’ve learned that it’s nice with one less barrier to getting to know someone. You may be surprised how much you like your neighbor! Isn’t it interesting that we may have hundreds of followers on social networks, but not know if we walked by a neighbor in the grocery store? “Love thy neighbor as yourself” … period. There’s probably a reason it’s the second greatest commandment. Let your fence fall into disrepair.
I love reading this blog. You make things so interesting!!!!
This made me reflect on the fences I have built around all aspects of my life. Especially fences I put around my children for their protection as they were growing up.
Did these fences help or hinder them from experiencing life on the ‘other side of the fence’ ?
My husband and I have a second home in an area where there are no fences dividing us from our neighbors….I have to say that we have met some of the most terrific neighbors ever, and happy that we don’t have to “talk over a fence” everytime we want to visit…and instead, can just wander on over to each other’s yards when we’re outdoors to have that warm and cozy chat to catch up and be a highlight of our day.
Hi, I am visiting this web site daily, this web site is in fact nice and the people are really sharing nice
thoughts.