Over the wall

Used to be a way of life for many

Not any more today

Today most of us have little if any contact with our neighbours

Often it is confined to issues of politeness like informing them of a party

Inviting them over for a drink even

Or keeping an eye on your place if you are going away

For many though this is a step too far

We are more and more isolated from our neighbours

Not even knowing anyone around us except for a nod here and there

Sad or what?

Just the pace of life we might say

TV offers a more agreeable neighbour

We can switch it on, turn it off, walk into another room, ignore it

With human relationships we do these things at our peril

Better then to keep to ourselves and our TVs they do not answer back or demand anything from us

Seven or eight hours a day no less

And what are we becoming?

Nations of viewers accepting what we are shown often uncritically

Waiting for the time to go to bed

Just another day

Weekend not far away

And so life slips by

So life over the wall might have gone but what have we replaced it with?