If you live in the countryside, or in a small village, you probably know what all your neighbours do to earn their paltry crusts.
However, in towns this is probably not the case. Jim down the road might have a white van in his drive which says 'Jim the Plumber', and Barry on the other side of the road might run the corner shop, but otherwise folk are quite guarded about their trades or professions. I don't suppose many in my street here in Brighton know what I did for a living; but in France they all do.
For all I know I might have a neighbour who's a burglar, another who's a brain surgeon, and another who's a drag queen; we simply don't know.
I speak with neighbours almost every day but I have no idea what they do. I would never ask them as I was always taught that such a question was 'simply not on'.
So, do I wish to know what they all get up to during the daytime? No, I don't. In fact I couldn't care less. As long as they are upright citizens, who don't drop litter or listen to loud rap 'music' all night long, then I'm happy not knowing any more about them. Just passing the time of day, or discussing the weather is fine. In fact just a cheerful "good morning" as we wave at each other is all we need to stay good friends.
However (and here is the reason for writing this) I have just learned that my next door neighbour is a 'Historical and Cultural Geographer with expertise in 19th and 20th Century Travel and Exploration'.
Well, who could have guessed that!!!
I much prefer the French ..or perhaps it is the village..way. it certainly is here..not as much as it used to be, but it still carries on...farm labourer, joiner, j.p. ( retired shop owner), all kinds of skills.
ReplyDeleteMaking a community, and those that can working together each to their own ability
Yes, I agree. Country life is usually better. We're very lucky here as people are very friendly. I think it has a lot to do with the lay-out of our small street.
DeleteYou have a neighbour with a fascinating job. I wonder where he works. At a university?
ReplyDeleteYes, but he also works a lot from home writing books.
DeleteGosh, that is interesting, how did you come across that bit of information, did he volunteer it? Did you tell him what you did?
ReplyDeleteI looked him up. I was being nosey.
DeleteCould it be that your next door neighbour is Edward Armston-Sheret?!!!!! He is my favourite Historical and Cultural Geographer!!!!! Would you be able to get me his autograph? I absolutely loved "Tainted Bodies: Scurvy, Bad Food, and the Reputation of the British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04".
ReplyDeleteYup, Amstrad-Sherbert. Nice chap.
DeleteWOW .... that's a bit of a mouthful when telling someone your job or filling in a form 🤣 .... but, how fascinating. I'd love to have a little chat with him about my husbands great great uncle who was a carpenter on The Resolute that went in search of Captain Sir John Franklin in 1852. I do know what my immediate neighbours do for a living but not many others. XXXX
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he will have written about him. I have one neighbour who is a hair dresser but I don't know what his partner does. And in the 4th house of our little terrace, I have no idea.
DeleteMost of our neighbours are retired but I do know what a couple of them did for a living before retirement. We are an ordinary lot in our locality.
ReplyDeleteWe have a few well known names or faces, but no real celebs.
DeleteI hear you are a celeb.
DeleteAs long as there are no mass murderers amongst them, you can rest easy Cro!
ReplyDeleteI, too, was always told you never asked anyone what they did for a living - in fact you never asked questions of a personal nature. If they wanted you to know, they would tell you!
Quite right too. I never ask such things.
DeleteI live in Brighton as you do Cro, in a long road just off Dyke road. I move here in 1965 and knew almost everyone even some from the side streets. Then everyone said hello and had the time to stop for a chat. Now I can honestly say that there are only two neighbours who I know and speak to. Sad isn't it? but people just do not want to be friendly anymore.
ReplyDeleteBriony
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Our little street is very friendly, but as I said above, I think it's partly because of the lay-out. We have 4 separate terraces all of 4 or 5 houses. All are owner-occupiers, and mostly folk are middle aged or younger.
DeleteA perfect adjunct to my post today Cro so thank you - and a Happy New Year ro you all.
ReplyDeleteThank you Weave. A tad miserable here today; wind and drizzzle.
DeleteI know what a few neighbors do - the rocket scientist, the nuclear weapons expert, but most never say, never ask.
ReplyDeleteBest not to know I think.
DeleteNeighborhoods are all very different. I live on a private road with 6 houses and large woodland lots. It is very quiet with lots of wildlife and space for growing. The holidays and summer BBQ's bring us together which is always nice. One neighbor is a rocket scientist and he has a license to launch his rockets which can be quite alarming when you see a fire ball in the sky. Another neighbor has a son with a helicopter and he visits via helicopter. Thankfully the rocket launches and helicopter arrival are not frequent. I prefer the quiet of the breeze in the trees.
ReplyDeleteI hope the helicopter owner offers you the occasional ride! I've never been in one.
DeleteYou might not like it....my brother used to work for what was Westlands, designing a black box that a helicopter wouldn't shake to bits...a pilot took him up to show him what they can do...his verdict? Thanks, but never again!!
DeleteI do not like heights so would never consider a helicopter ride. An airplane is fine but sitting in a glass bubble (helicopter) looking down has no appeal. The shaking to bits sounds horrendous as well. No thank you.
DeleteI've been up in a hot air balloon, and loved it. There was a sense of danger involved.
DeleteHere in our neighborhood, we usually know a few of our neighbors enough to exchange Christmas cards/sweets, but mostly we just know faces and smile/wave when passing. I was also taught never to ask personal questions, but today you can probably just 'google' the info.
ReplyDeletePeople are more open online. They divulge all.
DeleteHere in the "old folks home", it's not what we do but what we did, and comes up hardly ever at all.
ReplyDeleteThat applies to me too, but no-one ever asks anyway!
Delete"simply not done"?? Blimey mate, down here in Oz we ask anybody anything. Sometimes we get told, sometimes we get told where to go - as in mind your own business.
ReplyDeleteYour reputation precedes you. I've never met an introvert Aussie.
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