Dog owners tend to walk a lot. If it weren’t for my two dogs, I wouldn’t get nearly enough exercise. I also wouldn’t come across all of the interesting tidbits that I discover in my neighborhood. I’m always on the lookout for different types of flags that people hang from their porches, bumper stickers that they stick on their cars, and the planted lawn signs that spell out various community issues. Together, all of these flags, signs, and stickers tell me a lot about the neighborhood where I live.
The other day, I came across a particularly interesting posting that was adhered to a tree. As I read the letter, I was immediately struck that it was a very “Buffalo” – City Of Good Neighbors – type of story.
It turns out that whoever posted the letter did so to thank a person that had replaced a lawn item that had been damaged. The culprit? A passing dog, who had chewed up a wooden “No Pooping” lawn ornament. Now, typically this chewing incident would be the end of the story. But that wasn’t the case with the owner of this particular Fido, whose name is Charlie Brown. Instead of sheepishly walking off, Charlie Brown’s person – Helen – decided to make things right. Helen taped a note to the homeowner’s front door, explaining what had happened, and that she was going to replace the wooden sign.
Ultimately, Helen lived up to her promise. She delivered a cast iron replacement sign to the doorstep, which prompted the homeowner to respond in a way that would show just how thankful he/she actually was. The letter of appreciation was tacked to the tree (for all to see). Then, the new cast iron sign was chained to the tree for safe keeping.
After reading the letter, I couldn’t help but smile at the circumstances. A naughty dog chewed up an item that most people probably would not have thought twice about. But not Helen. She took responsibility for Charlie Brown’s actions, and went beyond the call of duty to rectify the situation. Reading the sign, as I’m sure a lot of other people have done, I took the story to heart – it was a small gesture, though a strong reassurance, that there are caring, civil, and responsible people out there who make the extra effort when it comes to being a good neighbor.
The next time that you question humanity, whether it’s a porch pirate, a broken car window, etc., just remember that there are still plenty of “Helens” in the world, who care about the big things and the little things. It’s reassuring to know.