I disagree with the concept that "good fences make good neighbors." While our neighbors are not necessarily our closest friends, it is important to have good neighbors and to be a good neighbor.

Whether living in an apartment complex, a townhome community, a condo or a single-family dwelling, we all have a common goal of keeping our homes safe while we all look out for one another. In our neighborhood, the houses are pretty far apart, but we all wave to one another or extend a smile or greeting as we drive along the road or walk our dogs.

For those who live in a neighborhood consisting mostly of single homes, many of the homeowners fall into a specific category. There is always the one home that stands out because of the manicured lawn, perfectly contoured landscaping and flowers and trees that bloom seasonally. These are the homeowners who will not let a weed grow in their flower bed or allow a fallen leaf to find its home on the front yard in the fall. In our neighborhood we have one of these homeowners, whom we have nicknamed the "Lawn Patrol."

Conversely, there is generally always one home in the neighborhood that is considered an eyesore. These are the people who put their Christmas tree out for the trash on Valentine's Day, whose mailbox is slightly crooked and who wait just a little too long before mowing the grass in the summer. This home generally has Christmas lights that stay up year-round and trash cans that stay by the road and never seem to make it back to the house.

Then there are the super sweet neighbors who never miss an opportunity to share their harvest of fresh vegetables in the summertime, who bring food over when they make too much and who put homemade Christmas cookies in your mailbox during the holidays.

Along with the stereotypical neighbors there are those who are unique characters. In our neighborhood we have Big Jerry, who walks the dog in his pajama pants. Our neighbor across the street loves to play the electric guitar as a hobby. However, his wife is not a big fan, so he sits outside in the warmer weather and strums classic rock tunes by groups like Alabama and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

We have a whole population of dog walkers. My next-door neighbor walks Agnes and Mia at the same time each day. You can set your clock by it. Kobe, the most popular neighborhood dog, frequently gets out of the fenced-in yard. Sometimes it takes four or five of us neighbors to round him up.

Being a good neighbor means being part of a community. If we get our neighbor's mail by mistake, we walk it over to their house instead of returning it to the post office. If we see that a package has been delivered to our neighbor and is sitting out in the rain or snow, we will pick it up and bring it to their covered porch. We especially keep an eye on things when we know our neighbors are out of town.

The goal is to be the kind of person you would want to live next door to you. Strive to be a little more like the Lawn Patrol, share your time or help when needed. And, if you live in a neighborhood, take down those Christmas lights and put out the tree in January, fix that mailbox, take in those trash cans and always keep your lawn mowed!