Mighty Neighbourly
Say It With a Southern Drawl and Tip Your Hat
There I was, at the front door, tired and needing some rest. I was locked out. Worse yet, my phone battery was dead. No phone, no lifeline. My wife’s estimated arrival? Three hours away.
Next door neighbours? Not home. Things were looking bleak when the voice of my neighbour James piped, “you look lost Lloyd. What’s up?”
He invited me in before I could finish explaining. He’s a transplanted Englishman and his wife Emma is Malaysian. She was quick to welcome with a cup of tea and biscuits. You gotta love the British Tea tradition.
Several minutes of phone charging later, they invited me for dinner. What followed was some very pleasant conversation over a nice meal. We had not traded this much dialogue in the previous 3 years. I was a neighbour in need, and they were the neighbours who helped.
We talked about our families in the UK, USA, Malaysia and Singapore. We touched on politics but quickly booted that subject. It was a very pleasant evening.
Old Style Neighbours
I can remember days gone by, a childhood spent in Dallas, Texas. If someone’s kid visited another kid, the host parent took on safety watch. Out of sugar? No problem. Stop next door for a scoop. Flat tire in the driveway? I can help ya fix that right up. By the way, I’m fixin’ to head to the store. Ya’ll need anything?
As we grew, my buddies and I hatched a tagline for these selfless acts. “Mighty neighbourly” was the phrase concocted. It sounded oh, so southern and oh, so Texan. Yes, it was a sarcastic dig at our olds and their southern ways, but we said it with a certain pride. We stuck our chests out, then added a little thumb hitch in front of the forehead, signifying a tip of the hat.
We said it with our unique accent. In our eyes, the phrase and the accent separated us from the unfortunates not living in the Lone Star State.
But that was a different neighbourhood and this is a different time. Things ain’t what they used to be. Schedules are full, while screens keep our eyes and minds occupied in the limited spare time we have.
New Neighbours/Old Twist
The phone did fully charge and I did regain home access. Soon enough we exchanged pleasantries and I departed. I couldn’t help but reflect on the differences between my current neighbourhood and the old one. The former was white and protestant, and everyone spoke with Texas accents. The new hood includes many nationalities and several languages spoken. It’s a rich cultural mix. But it sure is cool to see the old-style hospitality in a new-style setting.
As we shook hands, I couldn’t help myself. I thumbed the front of my forehead and said, “mighty neighbourly James, mighty neighbourly”.
