Hi, Neighbor!

Having a dog is hands down the easiest way to meet your neighbors.  I’ve been living here at Lark and Hamilton for three years and until recently hadn’t really interacted with anyone on the block.  It’s shameful, I know, but now I’m making the loop multiple times every day taking Eliza on her walks and suddenly feel like a member of a new community.  Folks sitting out on their stoops with glasses of wine praise Eliza’s friendliness and share their own stories of pets past and present.   I hear who’s building a new porch or hosting a dinner party.  It’s nice.  Hamilton is interesting; so many of the houses are luxurious and officially historical.  Seriously, like, with chandeliers and oil paintings that I peep at through first floor windows.   Then on the other end of the spectrum there are a bunch of rehabs under construction, soon to be great spaces.  It’s a combination of classic and modern and the homeowners here run the gamut as well.  I can’t help but be awkward, though, and am always failing at holding it together, socially, no matter how hard I try.  The other day I was heading down the street and came upon a gentleman who lives a few doors down.  The tree on his portion of the sidewalk has a bird feeder hanging from it and is surrounded by pansies. He was looking right at me with a thoughtful face as I walked toward him and he said something that I didn’t quite catch.  It sounded like, “Have you eaten yet?”  “Have I eaten yet?” I echoed and his look went from thoughtful to, well, a little bit offended.  “No!  No! I said, ‘Are you Evita?’” (meaning he thought that’s what Eliza’s name was.)    I could have died right there on the sidewalk.  I’d interpreted it as this guy asking me to some backyard barbeque or last minute dinner.  But no, no, of course that would have been a ridiculous question for a near stranger to ask.  The conversation ended quickly, thank god, and I hope I never, ever see him again.   Until the next walk, at least.