There’s a house in my neighborhood I never paid much attention to because all I could see was the six-foot privacy fence. Over the years, the wooden fence has sagged and rotted, reminding me that fences require maintenance. You have to really want to keep the world out.
Now I understand the wish for privacy and I share it. But it’s a fine line—a property line—and we also have a responsibility to the people on the other side. To all the people up and down the block. Boundaries don’t have to be barriers. Don’t have to be six feet tall.
When the privacy fence sagged over the tulips along the sidewalk, a For Sale sign appeared in the front yard. And I wondered who would want this house. Months passed.
Then, just recently I walked passed that house again and saw the house! It was a handsome house and a great yard! A spacious yard with a mature maple. The fence had been torn down and was piled in the alley.
I stood and stared and smiled, looking around for someone to thank. For someone to welcome.
