Letter - Just being good neighbors

Talk about it

To the editor:

Recently, I needed help putting up a fence in the garden, so I called my neighbor, Coach Mark Nelsen, to help. While we were working, he told me about the wonderful athletes that he’d just coached in track. About a week later, I called him to see if we had young people in the neighborhood who could help me move some mattresses. He gave me Mitch Ronning’s name, who was one of his athletes. In a matter of hours, Mitch and his dad came to do the job. I had a check but he refused to take it. I said, “I’ll put it in the mail,” and he said, “I’ll return it. We are just being good neighbors.”

A few days later, when the wind was blowing 30-plus miles-per-hour, my neighbor told me our raft was floating up the lake. Almost in a panic, thinking of what damage it could do along the route, Mitch’s name came to mind. Again, I called him and he said he and his friend, Jeff Swedberg, would come to help. I took them to where it was by car. I told them to just tie it to a tree, and they said, “Oh no, we will walk it back. We just need you to go down to your dock so we know where it is.” I came home, grabbed towels and took cash this time to pay my helpers.

I went down to the dock and there they were, coming our way, with waves over the raft, against this high wind. They tied it up securely. I tried paying again and they both refused, telling me they were being good neighbors.

These young people are awesome. There are so many good apples in the basket! To hear adults criticizing them makes me sick. These are our future leaders.

Myrna Hunt

Alexandria, MN

Tags: opinion, letters, hunt