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Relationship with Neighbors

Chailatte_

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
Disclaimer:
I don't hate my neighbors, and I believe in mutual respect and courtesy. This is just a humorous way I found to vent some of the frustration I accumulated today. I don't intend to encourage hatred towards neighbors or promote social isolation. It's a personal 'ironic' rant that I know will be understood in the right context here and not seen as rude (as someone outside the forum might perceive it).

Going on:
What is your experience with neighbors, and how do you relate to them (if you do)?

Relationship with neighbors:
Wherever I lived (house or apartment), I've always been a bit of a "hermit," a sort of mythological identity. Here's how I imagine it: "they knew she lived there, but at the same time, no one had ever seen her" *solemn music* (End of vision).

(If) someone ever encountered me, it was for not even half a second; I always seemed like an "apparition" to others, by MY choice. And do you know why? Because neighbors are the worst!!!

It all starts like this:

First Base:
Neighbor:
"Good morning."
You: "Good morning."

Second Base (intro): (usually reached faster if your neighbor is around your age, and maybe you accidentally smile because you're in a good mood that day)

Neighbor: "hi."
You: *panic* (but why is it so informal?)
You: "Hi."

Second Base Part 1:
This base is conditioned and subject to a lot of variables (too many to write), one that deserves to be mentioned is the neighbor's personality, which will play a crucial role here. (But here are some prototype phrases)

Neighbor:
1: Blabla about the weather
2: Blabla "how are you?"
3: Blabla "how are you?" + weather
4: Blabla "how are you?" + weather + something personal

Here we are at Second Base Part 2: which will depend a lot on the outcome of Second Base Part 1 (I usually, if I find myself in situation 4, start thinking about changing my address).

Third Base: At this point, the neighbor knows who we are, and they will have in mind the type of social relationship they have with us (the type depends on b2.1 and b2.2).

Fourth Base: By now, you've become part of the neighbor's social circle (the type still depends, as mentioned), but at this point, there's no turning back: you can't ignore them, you can't hide at home—they KNOW WHO YOU ARE, THEY KNOW WHAT YOU DO: THEY WILL FIND YOU. And they'll ask you for salt! Or they'll ask you to come over for coffee at their place!

You lose your status as a supernatural entity, and you have to play in social human mode!

If you don't live alone and your partner (neurotypical) doesn't adhere to this pattern, it's likely that within 30 minutes, you'll be at the end of the steps and invited to dinner by your neighbors,like me.

End

P.S. I shared this personal experience by making it humorous, but for me, my peace and space are important. The thought of having to go out and meet someone at any time of the day, expecting a certain type of attention from me, is tiring and stressful. I've always been like this. My house, my area, yes to manners, no to intrusion.
(Original text written in Italian (there might be some spelling mistakes, and some meanings might have been lost in translation).)
 
I talk briefly with one of my neighbors, like a few times a year, I would truly freak out if they invited me for dinner... I would honestly don't know what to do :)
 
My neighbors have been complete jerks. And the one lady l met slept with the guy next to me and thankfully he moved out. Thank god. And everybody knew about it, because it's a bunch of busy bodies on my street, so that sucks. I would love to put a note in my window, mind your own business, not mine, but l am sure l would get cited for that. If l had upstanding neighbors, l would be more friendly but it's Florida which can go either way here.
 
I live in Sweden, so I never ever have to worry about being invited anywhere by neighbors or anyone else lol. And if I did (because it has happened since I moved up north) I would just find a nice way to say no if I didn't want to go.

I love my neighbors. As long as I am the one who decides if I talk to them, everything is great, and they never come to visit me. I do not like it when people come to visit unannounced, and I don't invite people. But where I live, everyone is so laid-back and accepting of each other, however they may be. So, for me, I live alone and I love to be alone, but I also love that I can go out for a walk and pass by another person I know superficially and say hi. It's very friendly, it keeps me from feeling like I'm the only person on the planet, but I don't get close to them and they don't interfere with my life in anyway. It's the ideal situation for me.
 
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When I lived in a condominium for a few years I knew all my immediate neighbors. A very friendly atmosphere.

However for most of my adult life, I've lived in multi-unit apartment buildings, where virtually no one is sociable to a point of simply reaching out to even greet a neighbor, or anyone else for that matter in the whole complex. Something I've observed in multiple cities and states. As if it was supposed to be that way.

Perhaps most if not all apartments I've ever lived in consisted almost exclusively with tenants only living there temporarily, waiting to find a single-family home. Not bothering to see who their neighbors are. And then there's me as a permanent resident, who has become socially indifferent to everyone around me.

Sometimes it seems strange, but other times it just "is what it is".
 
Your bases stopped before the one where neighbor begins expressing uninvited political and/or uninvited religious opinions.
 
Naturally I like to be friendly to neighbours. If I do hate them for making a lot of noise I am still friendly to them when I see them, especially if they're friendly to me, because I'd feel guilty if I wasn't. But I barely see the neighbours that cause me grief with their constant noise because they very seldom go out, even though they have a 2-year-old. The 2-year-old is at that age where he has a lot of energy and needs more stimulation and space to run around, explore, exercise and socialise.
But I think the reason they keep him cooped up in a small upstairs apartment 24/7 is just fate testing us. Let me tell you, living below a couple with a toddler that are always in and the apartment is only very cheaply put together with thin wooden floors and they have no carpets up there, is pure hell and is a sensory nightmare. Absolute nightmare. Ruins our quality of living in our own home. Turns us into the selfish, entitled people we don't want to be, because in this world you have to tolerate children no matter how noisy they are or how much inconvenience they cause you. But when you're in my situation with my noise sensitivity, it would change your perception too and you would unwillingly start to hate the family upstairs and wish they'd just go away.

Living in a place where I don't have to put on headphones or earplugs as soon as I walk in the door is a luxury that everyone else I know has that they take for granted. Why am I so unlucky?
 
My neighbors are very kind, they have brought me food on occasion. I actually wish they were my age so i can make friends with them
 
I've jus
Living in a place where I don't have to put on headphones or earplugs as soon as I walk in the door is a luxury that everyone else I know has that they take for granted. Why am I so unlucky?

Always the math. We highly-sensitive people constitute less than two percent according to our CDC.

Then consider the likelihood of noisy neighbors versus the quiet and considerate ones. That it ultimately comes down to being a "crapshoot". The luck of the draw, or a throw of the dice.

Not unlucky- just the way the numbers inevitably stack up against us. That we are left to figure out how to endure and survive in an otherwise very noisy environment, short of living in the least populated areas. Knowing in my own case that it's far more likely if my quiet neighbors leave, that they will be replaced with noisier people.

In any event I still have to don on my ear protectors whenever the landscapers/leaf blowers show up. Even on days when there's nothing for them to blow. :rolleyes:
 
I live in Sweden, so I never ever have to worry about being invited anywhere by neighbors or anyone else lol.

:laughing: Yeah that's nice about Sweden.



I did something unusual this Christmas, I think my neighborhood has changed a little, people keep to themselves more now. People losing contact with each other. I think it's a shame, neighbors should stick together, so I made Christmas cards for the people who live closest to my property and left it in their mailboxes. Just wishing them a nice Christmas. The respons was surprising, everyone left Christmas cards in my mailbox a few days later. :) So that was nice.
 
I live in Sweden, so I never ever have to worry about being invited anywhere by neighbors or anyone else lol. And if I did (because it has happened since I moved up north) I would just find a nice way to say no if I didn't want to go.

I love my neighbors. As long as I am the one who decides if I talk to them, everything is great, and they never come to visit me. I do not like it when people come to visit unannounced, and I don't invite people. But where I live, everyone is so laid-back and accepting of each other, however they may be. So, for me, I live alone and I love to be alone, but I also love that I can go out for a walk and pass by another person I know superficially and say hi. It's very friendly, it keeps me from feeling like I'm the only person on the planet, but I don't get close to them and they don't interfere with my life in anyway. It's the ideal situation for me.
I have a grandson and daughter-in-law in Sweden. I visited once for a couple of weeks. I found Swedes to be people who mostly minded their own business but were super helpful and polite when asked, for example, in a train station. I said excuse me, could you please help me find my train. I can say that in Swedish. Then they switch to English and point me in the right direction. Wonderful people.
 
Lived here almost 40 years wife talks to Neighbours, I just go about my business, not really interested. Guess they think I'm weird.
 

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