What’s up? You alright (pronounced Aaw ite)?

Subtitle Mr. Rogers (bless his soul don’t have nothing on my NEIGHBORS)

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"  Genesis 4:9

 This neighbor shout out and call to love is motivated by the incident of March 6, 2013.  It started off a simple beautiful morning.  I woke up tired, because hey that’s how it be sometimes.  Got the kid ready she was working on breakfast number two because the first one she didn’t like.  I’m pretty sure I was working on my third or fourth yell. Seriously get dressed or I will leave you.  I’ve got to go to work.  Why does it take a six year old 20 minutes to put on socks – oh because she’s sucking her fingers and consumed by the Mickey Mouse club house.

 I ran down stairs to go warm the car up.  Yes even in the South you still can’t take the North out of the girl and I went to crank the Echo up.  Low and behold some busy overwhelmed   Momma had apparently left the keys in the ignition – Not running  ( I’m not that worn out), but in the on position, which FYI will drain your battery – who knew.

I didn’t curse I didn’t shout.  I concluded that I was going to be late and would need to call Triple A.  I glanced at my neighbor’s house and thought oh well let me try.  My neighbor works a later shift then I do and I know on this cold day she would be sleeping good (grammar correct says use well, but I like good).  In my most humble voice I asked how she was doing.  She groaned she was fine and asked”What’s up?   You alright”.  I don’t call her in the morning or for that matter really at all. 

Can you give me a jump the Echo is down?  Sleepy gravelly voice said one word, "cool" and she hung up.  I’m thinking I wonder if she even knew who she was talking to.  I grabbed my too short jumper cables from the trunk and glanced towards my other neighbors house who was apparently resting on a vacation day because he is usually gone way before me.  Well I’ve woken one might as well wake the other one.  And in an even  more tired voice I heard him ask you alright– yes I’m alright but do you have jumper cables.  One word, Yep and he hung up. 

A little anxious since neither neighbor asked who I was or commented on coming right out.  I went back in the house to ponder plan B because clearly these resting jokers weren’t coming out.  About a minute later, rocking sweats and a tank top my female neighbor came out in 40 degree weather – she mumbled I just got to turn the truck around.  Apparently BMW’s have batteries in the back – As she was turning the truck around my other neighbor, in shorts in a really big winter coat eyes still half closed , hands holding cables big enough to jump an 18 wheeler grumbled do you have the keys.  I had them in my hand at this point.  He gave one smart comment about why I didn’t just leave them in the ignition then he commenced to doing the man thing (I love the man thing) he hooked his cables  up and got the car going!  He sleep walked back to his house and so did my other neighbor both groggily saying no problem as I thanked them.   I never missed a beat I was early dropping off the kid who finally got her socks on and I made it to work on time! 

Now I’m sure I would have done the same for them but the point is they did it for me!  Sometimes the world can truly feel like a lonely place, but I’m sure learning that I am surrounded by blessings and one of the most precious is the people who take care of you and expect nothing in return – their simple desire is to know “You  alright”

Oh yes your neighbors may play their music too loud.  Or there guest may park in your clearly marked space and yes if that one neighbor doesn’t take her trash cans back to the designated area you want to scream.  At the end of the day and in this case the beginning of the day, when a problem rises, all those petty thoughts are put to the side, because in Community you are your brother’s keeper.