Ahmed Omar Balhamer :
The word neighbour or neighbourhood is usually used to refer to people residing next to, beside, or behind your house or near your area of residence. In my opinion, neighbours are not those who live next to you, but those we see regularly and develop a strong relationship with – pleasant or dull, beautiful or bad. Their background or the closeness of relationship does not matter. You spend more time with them. Such neighbours will be present near your residence, your workplace, school or college, parking lot, or any such place. The relationship among neighbours has however, changed through the years. Nowadays, nobody has the time even to exchange pleasantries. Everybody is caught up in their own thoughts or spend time browsing the phone. No words are exchanged on the lift or any common place. This was not the case until a few years ago. We would spend more time with our neighbours sharing joys and sorrow.
I have been visiting a mall for some time now. And there, in one of the outlets, I noticed a new employee. He was shy and always stood rooted to his spot promoting the products in the shop.
As days passed I noticed a change. Passers-by and employees of nearby shops started talking to him. Regular visitors to the mall started acknowledging him. And his behaviour started changing. He became more confident and started doing his job more efficiently. This is what good neighbours do to us. They bring out the best in us and will be there for us during our times of need.
Therefore, maintaining a good relationship with neighbours is vital. Remember, we might be spending more time with them, sometimes maybe even more than with our families.
(The writer is based in Dubai).
