Living Together in the Suburbs

In a coastal town in the Carolinas' warm summer days tend to bring everyone out to enjoy basking in the sunshine. In a neighborhood, a group of children have ventured into the backyard on a Sunday morning to chat about their lives while soaking up a bit of sun and feeling the breeze. At times the group giggles in delight and as kids tend to do in play, forget to whisper. While not screaming, they are talking loudly. Its ok, its a bit after 9 am and most of the neighbors are up enjoying the day in their own ways. You can hear cars driving out and about as people head out to the tasks of the day. The loudest sounds that can be heard are a murder (or flock) of crows that are squawking away from the nearby trees as the make their way across the area. The wild birds in the area have been up since the sun rose, singing about the joys of the Carolina coast to all who will listen.

A neighbor gets angry and bangs on the house door to tell them to keep it down, repeatedly, although the children are no louder than his speaking voice. In fact the dogs in the neighborhood and the lawn mowers tending to the growing grass are louder than the bunch, yet the neighbor gets worked up about not being able to enjoy absolute silence in his own backyard.

Seems a big strange doesn't it? Part of living in a city or suburban environment is learning to live with the noises and lifestyles of others around you. Unless you have countless acres that buffer you from the sounds of life, you are destined to hear things now and then. I dare say you too will make noise as you conduct the duties of your day. It is a natural trade off for being around others. Most areas have worked to help make life happy for all by passing noise ordinances, when making a loud decibel of noise will get you a ticket if its done past a designated time at night. Why would any sane neighbor think its a good idea to go fuss about the noise levels of a few children playing in a back yard on the weekend during the day?

Its simple. The children are parrots.

While most people tolerated unruly noisily, children running around at all hours of the day, or the local self designated guard dog's barking, people are quick to make a fuss about the natural habits of birds. I am not talking about the neglected cockatoo kept lonely in an apartment, calling out as loudly as they can for attention of any kind. I am speaking of the lower level of chatter and talking of a couple of larger pet parrots. The basic chatter of most pet parrots is not much louder than the neighborhood kids, if not a lot less noise. In the wild these birds can call across miles to find their flocks or warn of danger. As pets there isn't as much need for the volume.

Most neighborhoods have the wandering cat that prowls through the bushes or the local dog who never seems to think that using the neighbor's mailbox as a rest stop is wrong. Oh no, he is just marking his territory. They don't understand the invisible lines we humans have drawn and call property lines. Animals don't see the barriers and understand the alterations we make to the world. They share their world with everyone and everything else. Barring any misunderstandings or protection of young, they live in the same area without concerns.

Recently an alligator made regional headlines after finding it's way into a pipeline. The 11-12 foot reptile easily could have done damage to the workers who had to stop their work until the alligator was relocated to a safer environment at least 50 miles away. It was a simple case of nature meets man made. No one was hurt, alligator or human and the day ended peacefully with the alligator in safer waters and the workers back on the job. The animals don't intend on creating havoc or a scene, but they have to be somewhere and our development continues to encroach on natural habitats. It was just exploring its world and seeking a place to be. We have to be understanding that we are not the only ones living on this planet.

We also have to find ways to live together in harmony. Domesticated animals have learned to change their nature and trust humans. They even have found that their lives can be easier living with us, whether they realize it or not. In nature they must avoid predators, find food, water and safety, all while searching for mates and raising young. Humans can provide most of these things with ease and all we ask is for a bit of acceptance and companionship. Many of these animals are willing to perform in exchange for the love and protection we provide. They are willing to suppress their instincts to adapt to life in our world.

So why are we less willing to adapt some what to their ways? Many people do respect nature and are willing to stop the car and wait or help the turtle cross the street. Most give wide berth to the snake wandering across the nature trail. Yet there are still those who instead of appreciating the sites and sounds of modern connected life, would rather be annoyed and complain.

To so many who live with animals, pets are parts of our family. They have just as much right to relax in the back yard as biological children do. As long as no one is aggressive or over stepping boundaries (which can be prevented humanely if need be by a simple lease or enclosure) there is no reason to keep them cooped up inside. As good neighbors we need to be understanding and recognize that both people and animals have rights on their own property to live a good life.

We all have a choice. We can let things get to us and fester til it eats us up inside, or we can realize that we are not alone on this planet or even in our neighborhoods, and see the value and the positive in the communities we live in. Embrace the blessings. Learn from each other. When issues arise, take a moment to think of others rather than just ourselves. The cats will always wander, the dogs will always stake their claim on everything they see and hopefully the birds will forever be able to enjoy an afternoon in the sun in their own backyard.

Sources:

Laura Sinacori, 12-foot gator released back into the wild, WECT.com