You know you live in close quarters with your neighbors when...
... you're in your bedroom and you can hear the man next door clipping his fingernails in his house.
... you're in your living room and you know which movie the teenager across the street is watching in his living room.
... your friend in your house thinks there was a car accident out in the street, but you know it's just that same teenager watching another movie way too loudly.
... your exercise routine's momentum slows down when your neighbor turns off her radio... and you realize you've been exercising to the beat of her salsa music.
... you always know when your neighbor is doing laundry or cooking a meal (because you can hear and smell everything).
... you could, if you wanted to, know quite a lot about your neighbors just by paying attention to all of their phone conversations.
... you know, if they spoke English, that your neighbors could know quite a lot about you because they definitely hear your Skype conversations with faraway friends and family.
... you're pretty glad that they don't speak English so they can't understand everything going on your house!
... you know when to say an extra little prayer for the mama next door when her kid is having a rough day because you hear all the crying and correcting.
... your neighbor's pitt bull-like dog doubles as a watchdog for your house, too... but, unfortunately, even after seeing you day after day, he still doesn't understand that he doesn't need to protect your house from you.
... you wonder if your neighbors are paying attention to the Bible studies and classes on your front porch throughout the week... without a doubt, they hear everything.
... your kids don't have to go over to their friend's house to play... they can just pass toys through the fence and play together while staying in their own front yard.
... you're pretty much always guaranteed to find someone to talk to just by walking to your front gate.
This list could go on and on. This is normal life for us now, and there is a lot of good in this close living. Unfortunately, though, some of the bad is still a pretty big problem for us right now. God's been narrowing us down to what our next step may need to be... and we're continuing to pray for His wisdom and strength in this situation. In the meantime, the smell of my neighbor's cooking is making me hungry...
