How would you feel if you just found out that your neighbor had been dead in his house for about a week?
Well, let me just tell you...awful!! I didn't know my "directly-across-the-street" neighbor well, in fact, we hardly ever spoke. Maybe a "hi" or a "how are you?" in passing but not much more past that. A couple months ago, he had dug up a pretty tree from his front yard and left it in his driveway. I went over to see if we could have it and I think that was the only normal conversation I had with the man. He was always alone. I never saw anyone visit him. He had a couple of dogs and I saw him walking them sometimes. Every once in a while, I'd see him out watering his lawn. But usually when we saw each other it was either when I was pulling in/out of the drive way or when he was. We'd give each other the "friendly wave" and move on.
I guess his boss became really worried when he hadn't came into work all week and wasn't returning his phone calls. He came out to his house and knocked on the door and became even more concerned when no one answered. He called the cops. The cops came and found him dead in his living room.
Isn't that so sad? The man was always alone. And even when he died, he was alone. I think that is one of my worst fears, is being alone...forgotten...no one to care if I lived or died! I can only hope he had some family that loved & cared for him and maybe they just lived out-of-state or something.
So, after being disturbed that I didn't even know his name, I went online and looked him up. His name was Leonard Charles Jenkins. He was 51 yrs old. Once I read it, I remembered that he liked being called Leo but I'm embarrassed to say I really didn't know him at all. Not at all!
After that girl that was found in some guys backyard 18yrs after he kidnapped her and now with this, I am seriously realizing that I need to "know" my neighbors. I'm not the most outgoing. I mainly keep to myself but I think I need to try harder to create real relationships with those who live around me.
A lesson learned.
Wow! that is something that I would expect to read in the paper, from somewhere else, to someone else. That is such a strange and uncomfortable situation. Glad you shared it and it reminds me to make sure I know my neighbors too.
ReplyDeleteOn a lighter note, the 29th isn't too far away. Just think you, me, book signing by Marcus Luttrell.... ok, ok, I know another day another time. Hugs!
I couldn't believe it when I heard it either and I thought the same thing! It definitely made me feel like a bad neighbor.
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