We have new next-door neighbours. Yesterday our lovely neighbours moved out, and the new people moved in. We went across and introduced ourselves and said, “Anything you need, just knock on the door,” but they said they had everything, thank you very much.

They are an unknown quantity and quality. Will they be friendly or keep themselves to themselves? Will they attend all the street parties and get-togethers, or will they be unsociable? Will they leave big vans parked on the drive we share, or will they be considerate, and park in front of their garage? Will they be the kind of people we can trust with a spare set of our front door keys?

So many questions and, of course, only time will tell. Ours is a lovely cul-de-sac with only eighteen houses in it and, by and large, we all get on. Everyone knows everyone else and, whereas some people are quieter, there are enough sociable ones to mean that the street barbeque in summer is always well-attended, as is my Christmas Eve party.

But back to our new neighbours and only time telling us what kind of people they are. We do have a level of anxiety about them. But so it is with anything new. A new neighbourhood; a new job; a new manager at work; new responsibilities; a new relationship; a new boyfriend/girlfriend of one’s children. How will everything work out?

We must give it time. I remember my first day at work at one job. I reached home determined to hand in my resignation the next day: the commute was just too much. Fortunately, I went a different way the next day, which turned out to be much easier, and I kept that job for two more years.

On the other hand, first impressions are very often right. I remember two interviews for jobs where I instinctively felt that I couldn’t trust the person who would be my manager. In both cases, my feelings were proven to be right: both lied to me, and I ended up leaving those jobs with a bad taste in my mouth. I gave both of them the benefit of the doubt, but I shouldn’t have done; I should have gone with my instincts.

Do you have anything new in your life? Or have you had recently? How do you feel about the change, and do you have any instinctive feelings about things? How much time are you prepared to give it before you make up your mind? And then, are you open to changing it?

We don’t know how our new neighbours will turn out but we’re hoping for the best. We’ve heard dreadful stories of people moving just to escape their neighbours, but I’m sure it won’t come to that!

Mary

A Moodscope member