Robert Frost in his famous poem, “Mending Wall”, heard his neighbor say, “Good fences make good neighbors.” But like Robert Frost, I disagree with his neighbor. In my world, “Good food makes good neighbors,” or could it be, “Good neighbors make good food?” Let me explain.
Last evening Mary and I were invited to our neighbors for dinner. It was a cold, rainy, June evening and as I placed my umbrella on the porch our neighbor quickly opened the door and the great smell of Italian food wafted through the air. I had difficulty restraining my tongue from calling out, “Bring it on!!!”
What a wonderful evening we had! I have a weakness for good cheese and crackers and she served the best. Following my favorite appetizer we were treated to home make lasagna, green salad, and fresh from the over – garlic bread! Wow! Dinner was topped off with Apple pie alamode! But the best part of the dinner was not the food, but the couple, her mother, and their teenagers, and, of course, the conversation.
The couple’s teen agers spent the entire evening with us. Their son will be a high school junior this fall; their daughter a freshman. We are always so impressed with them. Not once did they avoid the table chatter to check their phones, text their friends, or whisper to each other. They had company manners all night and were perfect hosts.We stayed at the dinner until almost ten o’clock. Everyone participated in the sometimes mundane, sometimes intellectual, and often enlightening conversation,. These kids renewed my attitude about teens. What a thrill and privilege it is to have neighbors like them.
Many years ago when we lived in Wisconsin we were friends of high school Coach Bob Larsen and his wife Sara. Bob loved to have parties but they had a rule that every party should have at least three generations present. We were the middle generation then, and their kids and our kids were part of the younger generation. But he had some senior neighbors which were generally part of the older generation. I remember so many great conversations and good times were always had by all.
So maybe Robert Frost, his neighbor and I are all wrong, it isn’t good fences or good food that make good neighbors, it the mix of three generations sharing their lives with each other.
So, have a party, invite your neighbors and their kids, and find someone who is of a third generation to share the evening. Y’all (as we say here in the south) have a great time.