Blogging It, My Way: Don't Ya Wish Your Neighbors Were

As cool as mine? Don't ya?

Having just spent another 4^th of July birthday celebration with Alana and her family, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have the neighbors that I do.

From stealing my beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers flag to vandalizing my car in New York J..E..T..S..S..S colors, some neighbors have taken Leviticus Chapter 19 verse 18 to new heights.

Surrounded by immigrants primarily from the Caribbean like myself has been a blessing beyond measure. Although we are no longer physically islanders, our hearts and souls remain unchanged from our island way of life.

My door bell rings and it's Aunt Vee delivering a bottle of her hot pepper sauce or a plate of fresh fried fish. At times, I return from work to find huge papayas waiting for me. I have made numerous attempts to duplicate her curry chicken recipe but have given up. A pinch of this and a little of that is just not working for me. Aunt Vee, how do you do it?

Have you ever been to a baseball game with thirty of your neighbors and then have your home team go on to win The World Series?

You guessed it, we have!

You are going to have a difficult time convincing us that we were not a part of the “mojo” The Marlins needed in 2003 to win it all.

Since it's birth in 1999, our neighborhood has had a full and prosperous life and the core of it's citizens have remained. However, it saddens me each year as I witness our once little neighborhood kids become young men and women.

No more squeaky voices or missing teeth, it is now facial hair and braces.

We have all shared so much of our lives together from softball to volleyball games, block parties and birthdays that we truly are one big family.

Only a family can share toilet paper in public and have fun doing it. Only a family can have open arms to make you feel at home in whichever house you step into.

Only a family can play tug of war and have both sides win. This is my family, my neighborhood.

I am not sure there are too many neighborhoods where this can be said but there should be. I will always have the coolest neighbors but maybe someday yours will almost be as cool as mine.

“Now quit making so much damn noise over there before I call the cops”.