The good neighborliness

A good neighborliness is one of the things I’ve definitely rediscovered in this quarantine period.

I live here, in my new house from about two years, there are other little villas next to me but until a month ago I knew only my neighbors’ surnames printed on the letter boxes.

That’s normal, we lost the habit to have a word with someone you don’t know, even if it’s your neighbor and I believe the first reason is a profound diffidence that dwells in our hearts, due to incivility with dominated the pre- pandemic era.

I like to define the period before lock down, pre-pandemic, because I believe noting will be as before at the end of this long pause. Maybe it will be better or maybe not…we can’t know that now… but we’II certainly find ourselves in a brand new era.

I was saying, I discovered I have a good neighborhood and this is a great fortune. Staying at home all day, I came across them while I went outside to drying clothes or while I spent time in the backyard and now I know a lot more about them: their names are Gianni and Morena, they are very discreet, respectful and kind. He is the barber of the grass, his lawn is so well cared as the Queen Elizabeth’s gardeners could be envious while she cooks the best semolina, ricotta and orange peel cake in the world, “Well, my dear Massari, this lady could steal your title!”

We helped each other, supported each other, sang together every day at 6pm, we also turned on a light in the darkness of 9pm, always standing at one meter away but…never so close.

So, when we’ll begin the new post-pandemic era, I’ll sail like everyone in the dark but without fear, because I’ll bring with me new achievements and awarenesses because it’s just when we stop to observe, we discover things that make the difference.