The gentleman under my deck

I think I know my neighbors, from that cat-friendly dog down the street, to the sparrows who meet out back. So, it shook me to see the newcomer: a short, silver-haired gent who always dines alone.

I know a possum isn't everyone's bestie. His teeth give me the shivers. But, as neighbors go, he's quiet. And in return for the corner he's claimed, he'll eat his fill in ticks and nasties.

We can't always pick our neighbors. But as my granny said, "It takes all kinds". She told me that on movie night, as Warren Beatty pursued Natalie Wood. He'd crossed the tracks to win a "good girl" and dashed a chance to go to Yale. In real life, Beatty wooed starlets, and Wood wed Robert Wagner. So much for stardust and expectations.

Still, Granny was right; it really does take all kinds. My New Jersey bestie hates Cincinnati chili, but she makes a hella flan. My brother in Texas loves bourbon, but I don't like brown liquor. That co-worker who comes in after us? She stays late every day. That lady in the next pew who talks a lot? She always makes me welcome.

Good fences might make good neighbors, but they don't always make for good bonds. And I don't have to share your tastes (or views) to know where you're coming from. I can still find that common ground.

When someone asks if my church is a cult, I treat that as a teaching moment. I honor Sunday, and Saturday, too. But, you'll know me best by the way I show love those five other days of the week.

But, back to the possum. Yes, his hiss is scary - and his looks, as they say, regrettable. But, we all bare our teeth when we're angry; isolated, or facing fear. Yet, what a world it'd be if we found that ground where words (and fear) couldn't keep us apart.