Dear Reader,
I cleaned my mailbox the other day and it was so dirty that the experience reminded me of one of those Infomercials on TV where they spray cleaner on a surface that they've intentionally covered with dirt. Then one swipe with a cloth and presto, it's sparkling clean. It's a dramatic difference that leaves a big impression and it was a dramatic difference when I cleaned my mailbox, too. I stood back admiring my work, feeling a real sense of cleaning accomplishment--and then, I looked over at my neighbor's mailbox. Oh dear, it looked pitiful; especially now that mine was all shiny clean. A cleaning urge was coming over me, but I was afraid if I acted on it, I might be committing a social faux paus.
But would it really be such a social infraction for me to clean their mailbox, too? I mean, if I just happened to be walking around outside with a bottle of Simple Green, and a couple of rags in my hand, why, wouldn't it be the neighborly thing to do?
Pondering this question brought to mind an acquaintance of mine who lives in the Midwest. In the summer he is obsessed with uprooting every single dandelion in his yard. Every night when he gets home from work, if he sees one of those little yellow buggers trying to take root, he grabs his hand spade, or a tablespoon (whichever he can get to the fastest) and he digs it up. But a few summers ago, in spite of his daily attention to dandelion details, he felt that he was losing the battle because his next door neighbor wasn't a bit concerned about dandelions, and the seeds from his neighbor's yard would fly freely through the air landing in his. So one afternoon my friend took matters into his own hands, and without an invitation or permission, he dug up all the dandelions that were in his neighbor's yard. I think perhaps he went too far and crossed over the line and I wonder how it happened to him. He's such a low-key kind of guy.
On second thought, I think I'll leave my neighbor's mailbox alone. But then again, I'm just cleaning something, aren't I? But...maybe this is how it started for my friend, or...maybe I could sneak out there at night with a flashlight and a bottle of Simple Green? It would only take a minute...
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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