OK, actually, it's me. I'm that neighbor. "What a loser!" "Can't they SEE all those weeds?" "Are they going to ever fix that broken lamppost?" "What is wrong with them?"
Well, lets begin:
My husband works 10-12 hour days, 5 days a week, his job demands it. There's no going around it. He is frequently occupied w/ work on the computer during his home time, about 10-14 hours over the weekend.
Our second child is 3 & mildly autistic & cannot be left unattended for even a moment! I am perpetually amazed at what she get into in such a short period of time. What that means is that if I'm outside, I have to take her with. But if my attention strays for even a moment, say to weed the flowerbeds (which I would LOVE to do, I love my flowers!!) she's GONE!!! She doesn't understand that she needs to stay with mommy. She doesn't understand enough to help out. Our lot is such that it cannot be fenced without violating local ordinances.
The 2nd summer we lived here, I developed a tumor in my uterus that made me bleed profusely, leaving me anemic, weak & on bedrest. The following summer, after surgery & recooperation, I got pregnant & was hypersensitive to the heat.
We hired a well-known company to weed & mulch who saiod they would come w/in 2 weeks & didn't show for 2 months!! No matter how many times we called to complain, we were told it would be just a couple days. Well, I'm not going to pay someone $2000 to weed & then have to do it myself!! We received a complaint from the city 2 days after they finally came & cleaned up the yard.
Look at all these excuses!! Did I mention we have a giant dog who's really aggressive w/ anyone outside the family?
Or that my son has ADD & frequently forgets that its his job to clean up after the dog. And NO, HE won't learn if I do it for him!
Oh, there is so much more, there always is, isn't there? I KNOW IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN MY YARD!!! I'm only saying that things come up. You know the phrase! And sometimes several things rear their ugly heads all at once.
Now that my yard is relatively cleaned up, I see 1 or 2 houses here & there through the neighborhood that look like maybe they've had some things "come up", too. My experience keeps my indignation to a minimum & I wonder how they are in there. Sometimes I'm tempted to knock on the door & offer to pitch in.
I'm NOT saying that you should clean up your neighbor's yard, you shouldn't have to. Maybe ask yourself a few questions. Is the neighbor a widower or widowed? What is their work schedule like? Their health? Their kids' health? Do they have family/friends here in town? Just what is their situation?
Maybe, if I have a little extra time, I'll make myself available to help out a neighbor.
