My next door neighbor is a 16-year old girl who I really like. She's a good kid. Good head on her shoulders. Smart. Engaged. And just a great kid, all around. They have three pets; two super cool cats and a 10-year old pitbull who is a big love, and just thinks the the world of me. Neighbor kid has fallen IN LOVE with my new dog, Moxie. So while we did our big rugby event for three days, she came over and played with Moxie, fed her, tired her out, etc. In exchange, I'm taking her and her mom out for ice cream. It was a good trial run. Yesterday our dogs started playing in (and destroying) my newly planted front yard, so I brought both dogs into my back yard to play and goof off. Neighbor kid eventually came over to hang with the dogs, too, and we wound up having a conversation for over an hour. I, a 52-year old dude, sat and chatted with a 16-year old girl for over an hour. She's taking her last two years of High School at the local Community College, where she will graduate from both High School and College - with an AA degree - in two years. I wonder what kind of world she will be graduating into? What will work look like then? She's a good kid. I hope she is equipped for the coming world... I don't feel a lot of positivity about the future, but I sure feel good about her chances in it. UPDATE: Got to chat with her mom while we were side-by-side watering our gardens, and she told me that her daughter has social anxiety and has a hard time chatting with people! ... except me ... that felt really nice. I'm glad she's comfortable talking with me.
that is fantastic my man. there's a place in teenagers' lives that cannot be filled by parents. It will be filled by others. When you can fill in that place as a good person, it leaves little room for others who may also try to fill that place. I am so glad for her that she has you as that person. I count myself fortunate to have had a couple of great people like you when I was a teenager. It truly saved my life and created so many opportunities. Thanks for being an awesome neighbor and person.she told me that her daughter has social anxiety and has a hard time chatting with people! ... except me
Thanks, Steve. I'm winging it here... never had kids, and at this stage in my life I won't be having any, so I've known/seen "other people's kids" my whole life. Watching the neighbor grow up over the last decade, I've seen her go from noisy child to thoughtful young woman, but always at arm's length. I mean... what am I going to talk to a 7-year old about? But yesterday we were just able to chat and hang out and talk about whatever came to mind. I also got to watch her interact with two "dangerous" dogs, and control them with proper technique and a firm hand. (a Pitbull and an Anatolian Shepherd that tops 100 pounds now) She needs some help learning to drive a stick shift, and her mom is a white-knuckle passenger... so I might be able to help out there somehow. It's up to her. I've let her know I'm here to help, if she wants it, but she's going to have to ask for it. And yeah... it's all about being a good neighbor. She's the only kid on our small street of 8 houses, and COVID has her basically locked down with her Mom, Aunt, Grandmother, and their tenant who is a senior woman, too. She's got a lot of estrogen in her circle! Good kid. Hope the best for her.
and I'm realizing I may be coming off preachy or like you now have some obligation... I don't mean to sound that way at all. Just being the cool person you are and her knowing you're a person to talk to is all that matters. You know all of this. I think I just get giddy and grateful on behalf of her future self at the prospect of having a dude like you as a neighbor.