Friendly But Careful.

Hello Everyone, welcome to another week of the Hive Learners Prompt, First and Foremost I hope you did have a wonderful weekend filled with Happiness and Peace? I am sure you did, without further ado let's dive into this edition's topic.

So currently I am at my parent's place, and yes, I actually do know my mom’s neighbors, but let me just be truthful, see ehn , knowing someone and trusting them are like two very different things, it is not like we do not relate , as In we greet, we exchange pleasantries, sometimes gist a little in the compound, but it has not gotten to the level where I would say that I can trust them with something as delicate as my kids or even leaving my house key behind.

See ehn for me, I always prefer to take my kids to my sister’s place if I am going to a far place, not that I don’t believe the neighbors will not take care of them, but this is Nigeria we are talking about o, Omo, someone just has to be careful because you never really know the kind of people you are dealing with, today they will smile at you, tomorrow you may hear one story that shocks you, It is not to say people are bad, but this life has just taught me to be cautious.

Now I remember one time in this very same compound, someone’s goat was poisoned, nobody owned up to it, nobody even knew who could do such a thing, but then we all knew that it was someone within the compound ,that particular incident just really stayed with me, and I thought about it for a long time because it showed me that even the kind of people you share space with every single day might have even hidden motives, since then, and I just decided to keep things light and friendly but also not cross certain boundaries.

Now, the question of whether I am the kind of neighbor I would like, hmmm, I think I am sha in a way, I really do try to be respectful, I do not make unnecessary noise,and I do not poke my nose into other people’s business, but I am also not the type that will not greet or acknowledge someone, If I cook something plenty, I can even share with a neighbor, I try to be supportive in my own way, but at the same time, I keep my distance because of how the country is.

It is actually funny because in the olden days, neighbors were like family, my mom still tells me stories of how when she was growing up, if a parent was not home, it was the neighbor who looked after the children, they could even discipline you if you misbehaved, and no one would complain, but now? If you even try to scold someone’s child, you might end up in a serious quarrel, times have really changed seriously

For me, I think the balance is to know your neighbor but just don't try put all your eggs in their basket, respect them, relate with them, but also have your own boundaries, If there’s an emergency, maybe I can trust them to watch over my house for a short while, but for my kids? That is where I draw the line, children are too delicate, and with the kind of stories we hear these days, I would rather be safe than being sorry.

At the end of the day, I believe being a good neighbor is about doing your part, you do not have to be overly close, but you also should not be hostile, see we are all humans, and sometimes we actually do need one another, even if it is just to borrow salt or ask for help in small matters, but when it comes to the bigger responsibilities, like leaving your child in someone’s care, you just have to be wise.

So, yes, I know my neighbors, and I have a good relationship with them, but I also know that trust is something I do not give out easily at all, see just take it like this that Life in Nigeria has already taught me to be careful, and me I am holding on to that lesson strongly.

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