Know the old saying, “Good fences make good neighbors”?

Stand at the left side of my house and walk ten paces and you will smack into my neighbor’s house. Start at the right side and walk ten paces, you’ll run straight into my other neighbor’s house. Look out the back window and you will see what Joe and Barb are grilling for dinner.

When I go out to get the paper from the driveway, there’s a wide variety of sights to see. I can sneak a peek at who’s in the pool of the corner house, glance at the dog locked in his kennel beside the garage across the street, or give a friendly wave to the newlyweds – who are incessantly fighting.

Isn’t America great! Here we are, all the people cozy as peas in a pod. I often have occasion to see them come and see them go, as I wander out to grab a smoke. The dog-walkers, joggers, and mailbox checkers, not to mention the little kids with their big wheels, the medium kids on bikes, and the older kids who walk around like a pack of hyenas.

This neighborhood is busier than Central Station. And to think we moved out to the suburbs to get away from the big-city crowd. I guess our land is filling up. Gone are the days of wide-open spaces and green pastures. Gone are the forests but for one tree in each yard. Gone are the days when you could own all the land as far as you could see. Gone are the days…

Like the sign says “give us your huddled masses” well, they’re here.