Neighborhood watch
20 years ago, we all can agree, there was at least that one neighbor who would be the eagle eye of the community. Nothing could get past without her eyes scanning it. Kids didn’t try to mess around when she was there, girl friends and boy friends maintained safe distance for their affair would not see good life if she noticed, a personal news would not reach the household without her catching it’s whiff, and more. We all know her — neighbor aunty — that one self appointed vigilante who selflessly took up on the job of helping the neighborhood.
The neighborhood watch is a fancy name, but we all know that in the past it irritated every single person. The nosy, pokey, person’s presence or thought made every member in the group squirm. Besides the side effects she gave, the positive attributes were that she could avert issues much before it happened or things went bad. In today’s world where each house door stays shut all the time, neighbors don’t get to know the names of each other, the maximum interaction is with a smile and a nod, it is encouraging to see such nosy, pokey neighbor. At least it allows one to stay aware of what’s happening around them. Such a vigilante is no longer an irritant, but a friendly neighborhood She-pider woman.
One such story I heard during my ride back home from work. This man who is driving us all to our respective destinations in his car is chatty and friendly. He proudly says, one night when everybody had retired to bed and he had just then finished watching a cricket match, decided to finally hit the bed. Just then his beloved wife gestured him to stay discreet, quite and then enter the room. Suspicious of her instructions, and yet following every gesture (well who doesn’t listen to his wife), reached the position where his wife was standing and peeping through the window. What he witnessed had him shocked. There was a thief trying to trespass his neighbor’s house. His wife, with presence of mind, took a big water glass and through the window threw at him. This scared the thief and had him run away. She managed to keep a watch few more nights just to be sure. By the nice driver of the car, managed to buy CCTV camera for the house.
Now that’s what neighborhood watch does. Helps and keeps us all stuck together. The couple who got saved were very thankful to his wife and he was mighty proud of her.
I learned, it is good to be vigilant of our surroundings. It doesn’t matter the person speaks or not, just be aware.