Tuesday 28 April 2020

Love Thy Neighbour ... He said.

I have yet to understand what Jesus meant when He said, "Love Thy Neighbour".

I mean, does the man who lives a few streets down the road, just round the corner by the shops, about a quarter of a mile from my house, my neighbour or not?

I see him every now and then, and he makes an inane comment like, "turned out nice today",  or "it's raining cats and dogs again", and I nod politely in agreement with a smile. Personally, I find him boring. But should I really love him? He lives too far to be my neighbour; so can I ignore him? I don't like boring people. Although I guess God loves them seeing He created so many. Perhaps He created boring people so that we may appreciate the interesting ones.

How about you? Do you have good neighbours? Or are they nosey ones? Or noisy ones for that matter.

Are you a good neighbour?

I think I am. Last Christmas we had a party in our house. Many friends and relatives turned up. I remembered an old lady living a few houses down the road. She lives alone. You could call her my neighbour because she does not live far. With the party in full swing I went out to her house and asked to borrow some chairs. She refused. What a selfish neighbour she was. And at Christmas too!

When I lived in London we had nosey neighbours. They were always looking at us from their house which overlooked ours. Whenever we were in the garden they were at their window looking at us. It was unnerving.

I did not want to hang our clothes out to dry because I did not want them to see my underwear. I think underwear are private, don't you? They should not be seen whether you are in them or not. And if you are not in them then it is more rude because you're standing there with no underwear.

Also, I did not want our clothes hanging out on the line in case they crapped all over them. I mean the birds ... not the neighbours! How could the neighbours crap on our washing from their window? That would have been an all powerful mighty flying crap!

In the part of London where we lived it was prohibited to hang your washing on a line if it was visible from the street. I checked the local by-laws. It said nothing about the neighbours watching our washing from their window and seeing what kind of underwear I wear. Or crapping on them, for that matter.

The whole situation got embarrassing because I did not want to tell them to stop looking at my underpants in case they got the wrong idea. Also, I did not want them to know that I saw them looking out of their window at my underpants.

So I said nothing and they continued looking at my underpants. Until one day we stopped hanging our washing out on the line.

My wife suggested we hang our clothes as normal but not my underpants.

I refused, because then the neighbours would think that I wear no underpants.

What is worse do you think? Them seeing my underpants on the washing line, or them thinking I wear no underpants?

And it wasn't just the washing line I was concerned about. In that house in London we had a small swimming pool in the back garden. A heated pool no less.

I got so self-conscious going out in the pool or to sunbathe in case they saw what swimming trunks I was wearing. I shan't ask you what is worse, them seeing me in my swimming trunks or with no trunks at all.

What do you think?

22 comments:

  1. The best neighbors are those that just tip their hat and say "Hi". They don't socialize, but will take your mail in and water the tomatoes if you ask when you are going to be away.

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    1. Yes indeed. These are the best neighbours, JoeH. Not the ones who look at your underwear!

      God bless.

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  2. I think God had a sense of humor when he created neighbors.

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    1. Oh yeh? I bet they never go to borrow His lawnmower!

      God bless.

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  3. Dear Victor your post was super...I have always believed every soul who crosses my path is my neighbour...thinking of good Samaritan in Luke 10. Do I always treat them as such...unfortunately not. Makes me stop and consider though that I certainly should. The rest of your post had me smiling. Just what I needed. God bless you.

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    1. It's good to smile every now and then Debbie. And it's nice to see you visiting here. Please call again soon, and often, and invite your friends.

      God bless.

      Delete
  4. God said "love thy neighbor" because it just didn't sound right to say "like they neighbor"...which BTW my husband and I do.

    As far as your neighbors watching your underwear drying on the clothes line...they need to get a life and/or, you need
    to get a clothes dryer!!!

    God Bless 💮

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    1. Do you mean I have to put the clothes dryer in the middle of the garden and they will not be able to see what is in it? What if it rains? Will the clothes dryer still work? I once tried to mow the lawn whilst it was raining and got an electric shock that turned ALL my hair into curls. I looked ridiculous when naked.

      God bless, Jan.

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  5. Hahahaha! I totally get your worrying what the neighbors are thinking. Darned if you do, darned if you don't! Thankfully, our fence precludes any nosy nellies. In fact, it's been 2 years now and our neighbor has yet to say, "Hello."

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    1. Yes I know, Mevely. Some neighbours don't even say hello. These are the ones I love the best. Not that old lady who would not let me borrow her chairs at Christmas.

      God bless you.

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  6. Although I now only use my clothesline to hang out sheets and towels, Victor, I used to hang all - and I mean all - the wash outside, including everyone's underwear. Thankfully, we don't have any neighbors withing spying distance; that would be unnerving, to know we are being watched (and possibly judged). One bit of advice though - keep the trunks on! :)
    Blessings!

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    1. I'm glad you agree with me, Martha, that people should not see our underwear. Especially when my aunt from Australia visits. Her underpants cover the whole of Adelaide and Melbourne combined!

      God bless, my friend.

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  7. Well, it seems several of us bloggers are on the "lines" the past few days. I have more comments when I share my laundry experiences. Trunks or no trunks. Fun post. Thanks.

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    1. So happy my post made you smile, Wanda. I think it's good when we smile and feel more positive; whether with or without our underwear ... on the line!

      God bless.

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  8. If the neighbors are that interested in watching your underwear dry why not just charge them. If they don't want to pay, block the view. Nosy neighbors are the worst, they're interested in everyone's business and love to gossip. You can describe them in one word, boring! :)
    Have a great evening, Victor and once again thanks for the laughs.

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    1. What a clever idea, Bill. Charge people to come and see my underwear. We can have open days in our garden and invite visitors. I could autograph photos of underwear for them!

      Thank you for your great humour, Bill. God bless.

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  9. I guess I'm thankful that our neighbors use a dryer instead of a clothes line, ya' know?

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    1. Good idea, Linda. As long as the dryer is not in the garden.

      God bless.

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  10. We have good neighbors, not too nosy but there if you need them.

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  11. Methinks you needed a taller fence.

    True story, a very wealthy man, back around 1903, was coming home at the end of a busy day and was stunned to see the family laundry hanging out, including his daughters' bloomers. It shocked him so he had a wall built so you could not see the clothesline from the street.

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    1. I believe the story, Mimi. In London it's against the local by-laws in some areas if the washing can be seen from the street. The Local Authorities would fine you if the washing can be seen.

      God bless.

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