Recently I learned how to be rich. Alas, not because I AM suddenly rich, but because I have observed it being done unsuccessfully and done well. Like all things done well, it looks easy. Don't be fooled. There is real skill involved.
This fact was made abundantly clear to me in the months since my wealthy neighbors sold their house and moved. They are nice people who happen to have a lot of money. That is what I thought....but they are so much more...they are money smart. I'm not talking investing money smart. I'm talking about how to behave with money.
The money smart neighbors made friends with the neighbors. Were we all buddies? No. Did we know each other well enough to call the police if someone odd was in the driveway loading up a truck. Yes. Call in the middle of night. Yes. Check on the house while on vacation. Yes. That's a cheap back up security system.
The smart money neighbors hired the best craftsmen to paint, create cabinetry, install landscaping, maintain gardens, etc. This not only protected their real estate investment, it provided a community service by keeping skilled artisans employed and in our area.
In contrast, our new wealthy neighbors have not bothered to meet the neighbors, with the exception of the most knowledgeable person regarding their newly purchased estate (this neighbor had helped the previous owners find workers, learn how to use a tractor, etc.). They want to ‘hire' him.
The upkeep of the place has declined dramatically. The ‘upgrades' being made appear to be made by the lowest bidder, since what can see is not done well and what we can't see is done by workers who trail trash out their trucks as they drive away.
Then there are other annoyances, loud music, barking dogs, and party guests parking on our property. These would all be minor offenses, more easily tolerated when you know the people. It festers when you don't.
Finally, what I find most offensive and what my grandmother would call ‘just common', is not taking care with their animals. When one of the dogs barked incessantly for two days, my husband finally decided the poor thing was in distress. Since no one seemed to be home, he went to check on the dog.
The abandoned dog had been traumatized by a lightening/rain storm the night before and with good reason. He was on a 10' chain fastened to a METAL fence. There was no food, a water bowl barely within his reach, no shelter and he had to sit in a puddle of mud. It was heart breaking. After comforting the dog, we wrestled with what to do. Call the animal protection society? About an hour later someone came home and rescued the dog.
It is easier in the city to fool ourselves that we don't need anybody else. However, remember how critical it was that people assisted total strangers on 9/11? We are reminded regularly in a rural area that we depend on each other.; animals get out of pens, trees come down in storms, power outages are more frequent, tools are shared more often and the store is farther away prompting the familiar "can I borrow a cup of sugar?".
When you move to the country no matter how much money you have, being a good neighbor is not just the nice to do it is the smart thing to do.
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