Neighborly Acts of Kindness

 We had a nice snow last night and this morning when I walked outside to do the shoveling, this is what I saw.  Someone had been by already and cleared the sidewalk along the entire block and then lifted their snowblower up our sidewalk steps to clear our sidewalk up to the house and around the corner half way to the back.  I figured out later that it was the work of our next door neighbor Michael ( I saw him disappear around the corner as I was coming outside) and he told me he had stopped where he did only because he was concerned that the twins might possibly still be sleeping and he didn't want to wake them up.

Yes, we have a neighborly game when the snow falls of clearing our neighbors walks.  It is not just Michael, though he certainly went beyond the norm today.  I've seen Gary out in front of our yard with shovel in hand several times.  I've caught Ken at it and Gordon and I have been known to swing our shovel in the neighbor's yard from time to time as well.  Usually though, the shoveling is done when no one is looking.  It is just a quiet gift from an anonymous neighbor that greets us when we come outside to get to work ourselves.

One of the major concerns of the impact of global warming and peak oil (i.e., it is running out), is that our economy will change drastically and there will be a need for communities and towns to be more resilient and self supporting rather than relying on products manufactured far away.  The upside is the potential for communities where neighbors know each other and help each other out.   I think Minnesotans have a head start here.  There is nothing like a snowstorm to get the neighbors out helping each other, whether it is shoveling the walks and the alley or pushing the car that is stuck in the snow.  There's a very nice feeling about sharing the adversity and helping each other.   Not a bad thing at all.

OK.  I know that Minnesotans don't really have a head start.  I bet there are all kinds of examples of how neighbors - and strangers - help each other out and work together.  What are some examples you have experienced?