Ahh,, the proverbial neighbor issue.
Some are great, some are good, some are ok, some are bad, & some can be criminal.
I have lived all my life (except for my military time,) within 5 miles of where I was raised. I have witnessed this small cozy tourist type area change a lot. It used to be that people lived here, raised their families here, and many even lived in the same building as their small business. Wintertime,, much of it closed or slowed way down.
As such,, everybody knew everybody,, and most got along with their neighbors,, or at least were tolerant of them. But in general,, we were a community that pulled together to help one another. We only had one police officer. Oh, there were the odd exceptions,, and there were the few who moved into the area,, only to not find the happiness & bliss they desired, & moved on.
Times changed,, ever so slowly.
First,, it was a gated resort, that decided that they wanted to expand & become THE controlling force in making decisions for the entire town. Which would benefit them greatly. And with that bunch promoting things,, along came a steady increase of real estate agents,, who started promoting this area,, as a hot spot for owning a vacation home. Development of raw land, lots, & more smaller gated or restricted communities sprang up. People bought land, built huge houses, (and in many cases, in places that were not good or safe to build,) and became part timers,, or even worse,, used their new vacation home as a vacation rental to make money.
With all that,, the newcomers all started wanting specific services,, or demanded things of the Town,, to where laws & regulations started forcing many people to alter the way they had lived for decades. Many "locals" moved away,, selling out to get away from such things.
Many people came to this area,, and it was often hear; "Back in XYZ we did things like,,,,!" Or, "Back in XYZ we had ,,,,,,, we need that here!"
Fences were built to divide property lines & it of course,, made folks NOT learn who their neighbors were.
And many people would buy a place,, THEN complain to the town or others about something the neighbors had, did, or didn't do. All because it didn't fit what THEY wanted.
Example; One older, well off couple,, bought a nice house,, and then AFTER they moved in,, they went to the town & wanted the neighbor to cut down his trees to give them a better view. They actually sued to try & get this done.
And within all this,, there soon formed groups,, or "clique's" of people who had similar interests,, such as serious golfers,, or gardeners, who used their group influence to "make changes" & force neighbors to do things "to better the community."
All this has led to a very expensive & hard to live in town anymore. Oh, and the police force NOW required by the town has 18 officers, to do what ONE used to easily manage.
Some people feel; "It's my property, and nobody can tell me what to do on it."
Some people feel; "I bought this place & it should be like XYZ, and my neighbor needs to change his place."
Some people are very social.
Some people are not very social.
Some enjoy a hobby that others may hate. (Think shooting.)
Some are Democrat.
Some are Republican.
Some are Baptists.
Some are Catholic.
Some are Mormon.
Some are Episcopalian.
Some are straight.
Some are gay.
Some are black.
Some are white.
Some are wealthy.
Some are poor.
Some are hard workers.
Some are lazy.
Some are criminal.
Some are LEO.
To get along with people,, you have to accept others as they are. You have to be willing to give AND take a bit. Some people try to be kind, good neighbors,, and others do not. You can't change them,, but you can be as good to them as you can. And if y'all can get along,, or find common interests,, it usually works out to where you are both good neighbors to each other.
I moved out of my downtown home several years ago,, after we settled my parents estate & all. After a family lawsuit,, (my nephews,, their mom, (who was my brother's ex-wife,) and their step-dad, sued the estate,) I gave up some land to them. But I had it included in the deed that there was a gun range across the road to the property I gave up. Later on,, the nephews sold the property. The buyer was doing so as an investment. He divided part of it,,, and sold a piece to a young couple. The day I learned of it,, they had just closed the deal, and I saw them parked on the side of the road. As I often wondered about folks breaking down, or possibly doing something else, I stopped. I heard gunfire. Apparently, the new owners,, ALSO enjoyed shooting.
We hit it off right away. Good young folks working on a family,, and WANTED a place to be able to shoot etc.
Not long after that,, a guy who owned property adjoining me above my house,,(who was a druggie, an informant, multiple charges for DUI & other such stuff,,) with whom I didn't get along with because of his lifestyle, sold the land above me. The new owner was actually a local guy,, wanting to move a bit further out of where he'd been living. Plus, he wanted more land to do things he wanted to do. We met,, and in our discussions,, he carefully & politely asked me; "My son likes to ride dirt bikes,, and I want to build him a track. Do you have a problem with that?" I looked at him, square in the eye,, and said; "Do you have a problem with gunfire?" After a very short pause, I added; "I own a gun range,, and if you don't mind gunfire,,, I don't mind dirt bikes." His relief was quickly apparent,, and we also became good neighbors.
In the country,, in general, many folks do try & get to know their neighbors,, and get along. Often,, we need to rely upon each other instead of "government supplied" services. And we also know who are the good honest folks,, and who may not be the best to trust.
To have a good neighbor,, you have to also be a good neighbor.
But sometimes,, personalities or lifestyles prevent that.
