I have been thinking a lot about fences as I begin my biannual painting of the white picket fences that separate my house from my neighbors on both sides.
Yesterday I heard a talk radio conversation about borders. One woman suggested just eliminating the borders between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. completely. And the host asked her, "What would then delineate us as a nation?" The woman didn't seem to care--rather thought that we might eventually become one nation. The talk show host thought this was a foolish notion considering the problem with illegal aliens invading our country and stealing our jobs.
Given this theme, I thought about borders between neighbors' homes. It seems that the only time I squabble with a neighbor--except over barking dogs, human screams, music blaring or motorcycles revving--is over a fence. Whose fence is it? Who's responsible for the upkeep? Should I paint your side or just mine? What do I do when it falls and I don't have the money to put it back in place? What does a fence tell me about my neighbor?
There are all kinds of fences in Healdsburg. I observe that the old fences are usually wire with large spaces between so that neighbors can easily converse or even shake hands between property lines. Then fences became mostly short picket ones. And now they are often walls. The property lines on the alleys in particular are often high adobe walls which you'd need a ladder to see over. In the hills they are expensive Tuscan iron fences with gigantic, fancy locked gates with security codes. In the old days and in many countries today fences virtually didn't exist. Why do we need so much privacy and protection? Why do we need to keep each other at such a distance?
I am with you Shonnie... we dont need fences. We need acceptance, not tolerance, we need graciousness, not effrontery, and we need understanding, not ignorance.
ReplyDeleteTear them down!
And never forget when painting a fence to convince others what fun it is to do, and buy the pizza and beer.
ReplyDelete:-)
Fences are interesting conversation pieces. We have a fence that is partially fallen (from last spring's winds). We, and out neighbor, have not talked about putting it back up, for us, a financial decision. Another neighbor asked me if I were afraid of the fence being down.
ReplyDeleteAfraid? I don't understand why she would think I'd be afraid. I guess I have a different perception regarding those boundaries. While fences have their appropriate places, I also like the openness of a neighborhood when the fences have come down. Then we can watch out for each other.
Thanks for the comments. I love it when folks comment on the blog.
ReplyDeleteI had the most interesting experience of all when part of my back fence came down, probably on the same day as Ann's last spring. I immediately called the owner of the business who shares the fence because I didn't know what to do. He got really angry with me and blamed it on my potato vines! I felt so slammed by his inappropriate anger that I just hung up the phone in hurt. Five minutes later he appeared at my door, remorseful and apologetic. We went to look at the fence together which I was holding up with a string.
Within a few days he had put in a new post without charge to me. The time before that I had put in a couple of posts without charge to him. I think that's how neighbors should be. I don't even know who owns either of the fences.