Smiles and Small Talks: The Beauty Of Neighbourhood Friendship.

These days, everybody seems to be in their own little world. We rush out in the morning, rush back at night, plug in our earphones, lock our doors, and mind our business. And whenever we get back inside there's no going out again, most times we don't even bother about the person living next to us . I grew up with strict parents, when I was a kid we dare not go out to play we are always indoor either doing an assignment or watching a movie but my parents still taught us that we should always greet our neighbors whenever we see them. We help them carry their bags and all of that but there's no going to sit in their house or talking to them. The only thing we do is greeting them and helping them, and they always do the same thing too apart from that there's no close relationship we have with them.  _{image generated using ImageFx} I remember a time when in the middle of the night my dad slumped and fell in the bathroom,we had no family nearby and we even called them but then it was going to take time before they get to our house. Out of fear, my mum had to knock on our neighbour's door and immediately they rushed in they even offered their car to help take my dad to the hospital, stayed there with him throughout the night and then told my mum not to worry about us. They left my mum in the hospital and took I and my siblings home,the wife took care of us and even dropped us at school the next day. Funny enough, it was just few good mornings here and there just helping out in small small things and they became lifesavers in the moment we needed them. I get that in the world we are now it is so much better for everyone to be on their own, but then most of us are not even trying. We create a lot of boundaries, I'm not saying creating boundaries is bad but at least let people be at rest to approach you. We tell ourselves we don't need them and that they don't need us. Some people don't even greet their neighbors and they are not polite towards them. Not all neighbors are nice though but we should just do our part to make sure we are not like them and when a time comes when they need your help you wouldn't be the one at fault, they will be the one at fault. Being a good neighbor doesn't mean you have to be best friends or share your private life. It can be something as small as greeting each other, helping elderly ones carry a heavy bag and sometimes checking up on them if you haven't seen them in a while, my mum does that a lot. Little things like that makes the neighbor feel friendly and warm towards you.  _{image generated using AI} I remember then whenever our neighbors come to ask for matches or salt early in the morning, instead of my mum giving them just one stick of matches she gives them one box instead,when they come to ask for just small salt she gives them generously. Little things like that counts a lot. And I've also grown to be that type of person, I stayed in school hostel when I was in school so I had a lot of neighbors even though some of them are bad people I still make sure I greet them and smile to them the only thing I don't do with them is to start having long conversations or anything that is going to make us close. I make sure I give to them whenever they ask, compliment their dress and look whenever they go for class. Sometimes I even help them pack their clothes from the rope outside whenever they spread clothes and it starts raining when they are in class. Funny how this little things matter a lot because at least when you need their help you can go freely to them because you are a bit familiar with them through the greetings and all. Neighbors are the ones who sees us everyday who shares our house and they might be the first to help if something goes wrong. We should always greet our neighbors,smile to them, joke around with them because they are the closest to you and it is only the closest to us that can come on time if we urgently need something.