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| Fast Talk |
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| Written by Ron Swift / Fast Talk | |
| Saturday, 12 January 2008 | |
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Good neighbors make good communities The No. 1 asset that small communities have going for them is their neighborhoods. That’s where experiences are shared and a level of comfort is developed. We might not become close friends and socialize on a regular basis, but we still become comfortable with our neighbors in a manner that’s impossible in large cities. My neighborhood is like that. We care and watch out for each other. We are concerned when our neighbors have health issues, share the joy when someone has a baby, feel the sorrow when someone dies.  Ron Swift During the past 41 years, we have had some wonderful neighbors on South Seventh Street. Our kids played ball together there. Teenage neighbors babysat when our brood was young. Our animals were fed when we were out of town. Had we wanted it, I’m sure the lawn would have been mowed or the leaves raked, but fortunately, family was nearby to handle those chores. And our neighbors have been very understanding — if not downright forgiving. Years ago, when we had dogs, I’m sure they annoyingly barked away in the backyard. And our summertime patio parties, with music turned up too loud, not to mention the cars taking up parking space throughout the neighborhood, were probably more than an annoyance. But no one complained. Good neighbors put up with such things. They learn to roll with the punches, even an occasional low blow. That’s part of sharing and being neighborly. We had an unpleasant situation in our neighborhood Christmas Eve. After a big family gathering at our house and the usual joy around the tree, Housemate (HM) and I were left alone. It was about 11:30 p.m. and we were picking up the usual odds and ends left from gift opening when a major ruckus was heard on our front porch. It briefly stopped, then began again. A dog barked. HM raced to the door and, with alarm in her voice, chased three dogs off the porch. At the center of the fracas was a neighborhood cat, which sprinted into the house. Obviously injured, with blood flowing and teeth missing, Waddles (well, what would you call a cat that weighed 18 pounds?) was terrified. Waddles was a loving animal — an outdoor cat that ate regularly at our house and slept in a large structure provided for his comfort just outside our back door. HM even took him to the local vet when the occasion demanded. That evening, he spent the night in his house, but the next morning — Christmas day — HM transported him to an emergency clinic in Modesto. That evening, after surgery and a few hundred dollars’ expense, it was necessary to “put him down.” Several days later, the dogs were again observed running loose, and HM found their owners several doors down the block. The owners appeared sorrowful and agreed to keep their dogs in check. The issue was resolved in a neighborly manner. Last fall, when we were out of town for several weeks, a neighbor had a security light installed by Turlock Irrigation District on a company pole in the alley behind our house. It is extremely bright, with an orange glow that fully lights up our backyard and bedrooms. In fact, it’s so bright that I can read a book at night on our back patio, a good 75 feet away. TID personnel say the company cannot do anything about the obtrusive light because the customer is paying for it. But that’s OK, for we’ll work out a solution. After all, we’re neighbors. NOT SO COOL I’ve long thought Dr. Phil was a pretty cool guy. In his television program, he comes off as intelligent, insightful and caring. But this latest visit to Britney Spears, who was in the hospital at the time, has all the markings of gross headline grabbing. Why did he have to say anything about his visit with the troubled Spears? And was it ethical then to say anything to anyone? FOR THE SPORTS FAN It’s good to see the Patterson High boys and girls varsity basketball teams getting off to a good start in league play. That makes the PHS gym a good place to spend a cold winter evening, with plenty of excitement guaranteed. And then there’s the Tigers’ resurgent wrestling program. Close to 70 mat-men are out for the sport at PHS, while some schools don’t attract enough participants to suit up full JV and varsity teams. AND FINALLY … Fast Talk’s education message of the week tells us a person’s eyes always remain the same size from birth, but the nose and ears never stop growing. This raises the question: Why don’t we smell and hear better in our Golden Years, with our larger noses and ears? Just the opposite occurs. And yet another question: What’s so golden about old age?
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