Love thy neighbour?

I’m the first to admit that during my time in Perth I probably haven’t been the most desirable neighbour. I learnt very early on in the piece those residing close to you, do not partake in going out on week nights, nor do they appreciate having a full bucket off spew hurled over their fence and plastered across their entertaining area. As these first months progressed one neighbour even felt the need to send an anonymous letter, documenting how we disturbed the once peaceful neighbourhood. The typed letter went in to significant detail, citing a plethora of different scenarios. While yes, he or she did make some valid points, the majority of it was a blatant malicious attack that really carried no warrant. Fast track two years and I’m residing in the same street as the drug lab where the roof was blown off, due to a make shift drug lab. I ask the question, whose disturbing the ‘peace’ now?

Drug labs and anonymous letters aside, ever since that particular incident - given I was worried we could end up on an episode of Today Tonight, portrayed as the world’s worst neighbours - I managed to build up a fairly good rapport. While I don’t invite them over for a BBQ where we share gardening tips, but a simple exchange of a wave or hello takes place. This was the case until I went to Europe where I left the house in the capable hands of my housemates. One evening, against his better judgement, one of them decided to throw a house party outside that kicked off at 2am. Needless to say they weren’t too impressed with the noise. But you could say the deal breaker was when a few months later he became extremely intoxicated and tried to break in to another one of our ‘delightful’ neighbour’s house. The police were called were diffuse the situation. Upon my return the neighbour informed she had not slept for the 2 weeks following the incident as she was convinced they were being broken in to by a deranged drug addict.  Further strain was also added to the relationship when I insisted in having a number of limbs cut off of their jacaranda tree. In my defence it does create a lot of unnecessary mess.

So with a new neighbour moving in behind me, I am not entirely sure how to approach the situation. Do I go up there and introduce myself, so we aren’t faced with the awkward situation of getting the mail at the same time. Or worse leaving it too long that it would just be strange to say hello given they have lived there for 6 months and you haven’t uttered a single word to each other. Or do I simply just chuck a full ‘welcome to the neighbourhood’ bucket of spew over their fence and wait for them to come knocking the next day… it got a reaction last time!

This brings me to the conclusion; love thy neighbour, while good in theory, not so good in practice.

Do you love your neighbour or am I just barking up the wrong tree (one that has a few branches hacked at)?

Bye for now,

Cuttsy