Your network is your network, and at every point we find ourselves, we will need people directly or indirectly.
A man or woman who feels too big to ask for help might as well die of over burden. They say a problem shared is half solved, and so as a person, if you don't have people around you who can share moments with you, then you are a loner.
Having a good relationship with your neighbors will either make life easy or difficult for you, but in a world where privacy is the new norm, it has become relatively difficult for people to build genuine relationships and connections.
I have had neighbors over the years since childhood living with my parents, but I can totally relate when the Bible says there's a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
There's a neighbor of mine, turned brother actually, who I met when I got to school. Our first meeting was quite awkward because we met outside the hostel because the units on our prepaid meter had been exhausted and we needed to buy units, so everyone came out.
We got talking, and I found he was also in my department. He had gained admission and started from 100 level,l, while I was a direct entry student joining at 200 level. He actually made the process of registration easy for me,, and he showed me how to find my way around on campus. Wee became so close to the point that people in our department thought we were roommates, as sometimes we would discuss our next meal in school and even cook together.
This happened because we both serviced our relationship and offered value to each other,, and I can practically leave my house keys with him to help me out with something,, and he does the same for me. He's currently on holiday,, and the day I was cooking in the evening and my cooking gas finished on me,, I only had to put a call through to him,, and he agreed since I have his spare keys.
There have been times I arrived late from event decoration jobs, and he was wide awake to help me out with the gate. He's someone who has also knocked on my door at 2 am one day because of a rat that was disturbing his sleep, and till about 3 am that night,we hunted down and killed that rat together 😂😂. And I can say he has earned my trust, and I am sure he trusts me too to have left his spare keys with me.
For genuine connection to be built with your neighbors, intentionality is needed from both sides because when one person begins to pour into a relationship and the other party doesn't return the favor, then the relationship becomes parasitic.
Also, you must offer value because in a world filled with so much hostility, the only way to earn people's trust is when you become valuable to them through your character and your actions; actions, they say, speak louder than words.
I must admit, I and my neighbors have some ups and downs, but once it is over, it becomes past. Almost everyone who comes in very late or in the early hours of the day dials my number before they call any other person because I will always show up.
And that doesn't also mean because you show up for them they will also show up for you, but if you want good, you have to serve good yourself because the good you put out there has a way of coming back to you.
Thanks for stopping by.
The first image is mine, and the second was generated using AI based on my prompt.