Tag Archives: neighbours

Oribi Mom

Oribi Mom: A Nod to the Neighbours

“There’s still room for the good old days of community doing life together out of homes and garages.”

PHOTO BY PIXABAY

January 15, 2023

Isn’t it crazy to think that I’ve been going to the same hairdresser for the last twenty years? I didn’t ever think I’d be old enough to have these kinds of revelations, but here we are.

She cut my hair like Jennifer Aniston when I was fifteen. At thirty-six l have to admit that it’s always been my favourite style and I keep going back to those Hollywood layers.

Neighbourly Relationships Take Time But They’re Worth It

That’s not to say we haven’t had a journey. Like the time she cut my thick hair into a bob and I realized that it was the most irritating style I could ever have chosen. It’s impossible to tie up and hangs down into my face. I also have a curl to the one side at the back that makes a bob untidy whether I’ve brushed or blow-dried it.

Then there was the time that I came home, a new bride wanting a change. Pixie cuts are fun but only if your new husband is onboard with the drastic new look! If not, there may or may not be a few days of tense staring as he grieves the long locks he married. Don’t worry; it grew back and we’re heading towards our fifteenth anniversary.

You Miss The Neighbours When They Aren’t There Anymore

We also moved overseas for a little bit to teach English. Have you ever tried to have a haircut in a fancy-looking salon where not a soul speaks English? Pointing, gestures, nods, and smiles were not quite enough to explain the details of what I needed.

That Korean hairdresser ripped my ends to shreds with a blade and charged me more than I have ever paid for a haircut. It was a long year waiting to get back to my good old neighbourhood hairdresser so that she could fix up the mess. Fifteen minutes is all she needs to work miracles that grow out beautifully and look amazing.

These things remind me how special it is to have people like this in our lives. Neighbours who are hairdressers, coffee sellers, beauticians, travelling nurses, piano teachers, educational toy entrepreneurs, frozen meal chefs, and so much more.

There’s still room for the good old days of community doing life together out of homes and garages. There’s still a good reason to chat to the neighbours over the fence and see how we can help each other. You might even find yourself twenty years down the line appreciating how far you’ve come together.

Published here.

Oribi Mom

Oribi Mom: Walk Around In Other People’s Skins a Little More

“The questions have levelled up to some insightful dilemmas, too. “Mama, why did Lowly worm have to save Sea Captain Tilly from drowning? She’s a hippo!””

Empathy and compassion and love are not easy when it means that our own comfort is in jeopardy, but that’s what makes life richer. PHOTO BY MATHYAS KURMANN on UNSPLASH

October 21, 2021 

I have always loved to read. Lately, I have been appreciating this special gift as I start to read more interesting books to my children. Leveling up to actual stories feels like quite an achievement as we move beyond short, punchy sentences.

When you have been stuck behind books that count to 10 or describe colourful pictures like something big and blue, it seems like something to celebrate when you can see Edward Bear bumping down the staircase in your child’s imagination. We’ve moved from ‘shiny train’ to all the amazing fishes in McElligot’s pool and Nutkin’s brush with Old Brown.

The questions have levelled-up to some insightful dilemmas, too. “Mama, why did Lowly worm have to save Sea Captain Tilly from drowning? She’s a hippo!”

Bet you never thought of that, Mr Richard Scarry.

Reading Is Such an Adventure, Isn’t It?

One of my adult reads was a classic that included the quote from Atticus, the father in Harper Lee’s How to Kill a Mockingbird. He told his feisty daughter not to judge another person until she had a chance to ‘…climb into his skin and walk around in it.’

I have also seen this empathy echoed in my son’s little stories and it opens doors to some hard conversations. Why should Grandma Tildy take the elephant in from the cold when it will eat all her winter rations and break through her old floorboards?

Why, indeed.

Walking Around in Other People’s Shoes Isn’t Always Comfortable

Empathy and compassion and love are not easy when it means that our own comfort is in jeopardy, but that’s what makes life richer.

Is someone you know pushing against the vaccine? Walk around in their skin a little more to understand why.

Are you angry that someone you’re close to is not yet registered to vote? Delve deeper, but do it gently.

Your choices are not your neighbour’s but we are all happier when there are dialogues, open questions, and kindness enough to see it from another angle.

If we disagree, we are human. If we still remain friends, we are better humans.

A Little Compassion Can Change a Life – Your Own Included

I don’t know why Grandma Tildy told the elephant he could come inside from the snowstorm – he ate all her food, broke her floor, and couldn’t get out the door.

But, when he carried her house on his back, all the way to a warmer place, it doesn’t seem so crazy.

Maybe, we should rather talk to the white elephant in the room and see if it can take us to greener pastures.

Published here.