Ethnical Diversity at Home

I live in a neighborhood that meets the ethnical diversity that would make some on the liberal left vibrate with extreme happiness.

I'm not so happy about it-not that I have any predisposed ideas about anyone or where they come from or their racial makeup. More because I don't like the rooster in one neighbor's yard (and is it wrong to wonder if it is for cock fights because they are from Mexico?), the way none of them will return a wave, a smile or a “Hello” and the lack of common courtesy for your neighbor that I found in other places I lived-even in apartments. Well, if they are this way because of were they came from, maybe I am judging them for their cultural background but I doubt it and I just want them to fit in a little bit into my world.

Across the street from me, whomever bought the house is using it like a boarding house. There are never less than 7 cars parked around it and I cannot begin to figure out how many people live there at any given time. They also have a dog that is allowed to run wild. Is that fair to us when we want to have a party or just some friends over? My friends have to park way at the end of the street and then run from the dog. Now I know these people are breaking the "rules" but there is no one to enforce those rules. I would talk to them but they can’t understand English so I can’t.

I know that my neighbors are unfriendly because some are here illegally and therefore, and understandable, distrustful and probably do not want to draw attention to themselves (although they do this merely by the way they go about their daily business). I saw one neighbor "patting down" his guest when I was leaving for work. What's UP with that??

My neighborhood is not all cut of the same cloth so the bright colors that are incorporated are not a problem for me. I enjoyed New Orleans when I lived there, where houses might be painted purple with orange. The Mexican, Indian and Asian accessories are colorful and interesting to me and I welcome them. The weekend cooking smells are heaven. I will even go so far as to say some of their houses are nicer and better maintained than mine.

However, I would like a place to park our vehicles. I would like to go to sleep a couple nights a week without loud music that I cannot understand blaring, and for people to look at me instead of the sly sideways look and quick head turn to pretend I am invisible. I would like people to not run and hide inside when they see me as if I were INS and to maybe wave or say hello once in a while. Just your basic garden type politeness, they don't have to invite me to lunch.

Oh, and my dogs ate the rooster. But I don't hold it against them. They thought it was lunch and they aren't from here.