A young man lives a neighborhood. He never talks to any of his neighbors really. He has over 200 neighbors. One day he walks out his front door and at the top of lungs he cries, "I just ate pancakes." His neighbors who were out in their yards thought the young man's exclamation was strange, but they sort of found it interesting also. So the next day, someone who lived a few houses down from the pancake man, walked out his front door and yelled, "I love my wife!"
His wife followed by, "My man is the coolest!"
Cute isn't it?
No one asked them, but they thought they'd share.
In the following weeks the announcements from people's door steps continued, and it grew by the daily, pretty soon everyone was doing it!
Things like, "I just watch an awesome movie!" or, "That actor is so cute!" Were being yelled from windows, doors and walkways for all who cared to listen or hear.
What the trend seemed to do was to give people a voice who were once silent. People started talking, not really to each other, but at least they were talking right?
The trend was fun, even good for a while, but then one day, a man walked out his front door and said something controversial. That in and of itself wasn't bad I guess, but it didn't really need to be said in that setting.
Then next day, a woman shared in great detail about her new car.
And then a man copied her later that day, by bragging about the way his business just hit record highs in sales that day.
The business man who lived next door to that business man felt pretty bad about himself because of what his neighbor loudly proclaimed moments ago.
The bragging trend was aired in light of, "sharing good news.." but to those whom the good news felt more like bragging, the news brought them down.
One woman repeatedly talked of her "amazing husband..." but the woman who lived a few doors down who's husband just left her, felt really bad everyday when she heard the "happily married woman's" daily status.
It began to make people wish they could move.
People said, "if you don't like hearing what we say every day, then you should move."
So some people did.
Others just opened their windows or doors at the "quieter, safer times" of the day, so they could still be apart of the neighborhood, but they started to get ostracized by certain folks who were annoyed with their inability to tolerate the fun new habit most of the neighborhood had really begun to enjoy.
Because, if they tolerated their neighbors bragging one day, even giving them a "thumbs up" from time to time, then they, the other person could share their "good news" the next day.
It was hard from some though, like one woman, who was trying to have a baby, she had been unable to conceive for 8 years, it was miserable for her every time one of her neighbors would talk about how, "annoyed she was with her kids..." Or when the neighbors would loudly proclaim how easy it was for them to get pregnant. I think that woman did end up moving. It's too bad ya know? That she had to leave because of what other people said carelessly or bragged about.
Anyways, it's sort of an interesting story, and it was a good reminder for me to always keep in check when I walk in my neighborhood and share my daily thoughts. It made me think, "if what I say doesn't encourage others, then I shouldn't waste my breath."
Speaking life, is what I've heard it called.
Saying words the breath life into others.
It's good sometimes to share good things that are going on in my life with people, but I usually wait to share that news until I`m asked by the couple of friends I`m face to face with.
It's not that sharing things with ALL of my neighbors is bad, but I started thinking, "maybe this news would cause someone else to be troubled, or discontent with what they have." Or how about the new house remodel, my parents might enjoy hearing about that, or a few select friends, but my whole neighborhood? They probably wouldn't really care about that.
If I shared my tri-yearly vacation pictures of the beach, it might make my friends feels bad who can't afford to take a beach vacation. Well, maybe these things I've been thinking are yesterdays news for you, or maybe they are good food for thought! These words were good for me at least.
SO I decided to make THIS post my "neighborhood status" for a while. You can do the same if you'd like!
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