Article October 29, 2012 Issue

'Think globally act locally' moments

Diane Bolman

First appeared as a Web original on September 3, 2012

When conflict is healed in our own lives, does this contribute to world peace? 

As I thought about this question one day, I recalled an incident that occurred several years ago. Soon after I moved into my current home, my next-door neighbors became a thorn in my side. The owner was away many weekends, leaving her teenage son in charge of the house. Friday and Saturday nights were noisy, with teens coming and going until two in the morning. I did not handle this disruption well; in fact, my forbearance was at the breaking point. In addition to the late-night parties, this neighbor had a small dog that barked incessantly when outside, and three cats that came into my yard to dig. I felt as if I was living next to the “neighbors from hell.” 

When discussing the teen’s loud parties with other neighbors, they would sigh and say, “Well, there isn’t anything you can do about it.” Nevertheless, one day I met my neighbor at the mailbox and mentioned that her son’s late-night parties were disrupting the neighborhood. I recall that she just walked away. All during this time, I had been praying about the situation, seeing what ideas would come to my thought that would help bring about a harmonious resolution. However, I was not consistent with my prayer, so I would ricochet between feeling calm and boiling over with anger and frustration.