Love Thy Neighbour

We live in an end-of-terrace Victorian house in London. To us, it's small. There is very little storage space. We have no basement or garage. The rooms are like boxes and the gardens are like postage stamps. I get frustrated, very frustrated, when I can't put things away because there is no place to put them. It's even worse when I need to find something, such as an important document, because the things that are not piled up on the floor are stuffed into every crevice of our wardrobes with no rhyme nor reason. I long for a big house with walk-in closets, a two-car garage and plenty of land for the kids to run around. In contrast, however, our next-door neighbours think their house, which is smaller than ours, is just right, maybe a little too big, in fact. They've lived there all their married life. They raised three boys in that house. They've never owned a car. Their home is filled now with memories but not clutter, and is visited daily by their grandchildren and dogs who keep the house alive. Their gardens are spectacular. Here are two people who are content with what they have and know what is important in life. They don't need a lot of stuff. They have everything they want - family close by, public transportation to take them to parks and museums. They get up in the morning and discuss what to do in the garden that day. They always have a smile and something cheerful to say to the people they meet, and are wonderful neighbours. We could all learn something about living from them.

Lollypop Ladies of London

There are three school crossing guards in Penge. They are the backbone of the community. It takes a special person to be a crossing guard. You have to be brave to step out and stop traffic, especially when there are some really selfish drivers who speed up to try to shave 30 seconds off their commute, risking the lives of children and their carers. You have to be a caring person who likes children. You have to be able to chat about the weather and the state of the roads to all kinds of people. Most importantly, you have to have the desire to cheerfully keep people safe for very little money. The children in Penge love our crossing guards because all three ladies smile and remember them and make them feel important. They notice when a child is sad and will pass on a kind word to cheer him up. They delight in hearing of a child's school success on the way home. I hope these ladies know how much they are appreciated in this area. One thing I have noticed, in a world where people often think only of themselves, the majority of people crossing the road give their heartfelt thanks to the crossing ladies. I can only hope it is the same throughout London.

My Friend, Cole Porter

I saw my friend again today. I don't know his name, but he looks like an American composer from the 1940's, so I've nicknamed him Cole Porter. We pass each other on the street most mornings. For a year, I noticed him because of his slightly oversized jacket draped over his rounded shoulders and imagined he was on his way to his studio to compose a musical. It never occurred to me that he might be observing me as well, until the day he said "Good morning," to me as I passed by. I wonder what name, if any, he's given me. Over the past two years, we have greeted each other with smiles, remarks about the weather and the occasional health enquiry. This morning, the friendly exchange was "Happy New Year!" I don't know if I'll ever find out his name. I don't think I want to know. To me, he is my friend, Cole Porter.