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Historical February–March 2023 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
I recently lost someone that I was close with to a heart attack. Because he was a friend at the dog park, we spent an hour every day talking about our dogs, of course, but also about our families, our careers, the city, politics, and a myriad of other topics.
He was a kind man who loved his wife and kids, had many adventures, and was very smart.
The weird thing was, because he was a friend from the dog park, I didn’t even know his last name for months, we never exchanged phone numbers, I didn’t know where he lived.
It took a couple of weeks to even find out what really happened when he just stopped coming to the park.
I knew he was ill; I knew he had a heart scan scheduled for the following week, and frankly I told him he needed to go to the doctor immediately the last day that I saw him.
I spent more time with him than I do with some members of my own family, yet I didn’t even know the basics, and I really miss seeing him and having these great conversations.
This was a curious situation that caused me to think, what really is a friend?
I previously thought that a friend was someone that you knew everything about, that had keys to your house, and knew where your dead were buried. Miriam Webster defines a friend as ‘one attached to another by affection or esteem’.
With that definition, I have a lot more friends than I thought.
There are so many people that I am attached to by affection and esteem.
I know that sometimes it is tricky to take my circuitous thoughts back to our neighborhood, but that is what brought Andy and I to live here, and that is why we continue to work on the cohesiveness of the neighborhood. Events like creating a dog park in our own neighborhood, having concerts where we all gather, keeping a community garden, building a playground, having food drives to help those less fortunate, joining like minded people to pass legislation, and having porch cocktail parties are things that make our neighborhood special even if it is not unique.
These are the things that turn mere neighbors into friends.
I am so lucky that so many of my neighbors I can list as true friends. (and truth be told, I think many of you do have a key to my house!) I look forward to seeing everyone more as the weather improves. Get active, get involved, and say hello to your friends.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February–March 2023.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2023_02.pdf, printed page(s) 2; PDF page(s) 2.
