My new neighbor is very clever. [View all]

[MineralMan]

I share a driveway with the house next door, which was just purchased, after three years of the house being empty, by a single mom with a 10-year-old son. The boy is a little shy, and being the new kid in the neighborhood is always difficult. But Mom figured out the perfect solution.

A few days after moving in, she bought a high-quality basketball hoop and heavy stand and pole for it. Brand new. She set it up on one edge of the driveway, not too far from the garage. Within 48 hours, a group of the neighbor kids showed up and asked her if they could play. She had already discussed it with me, and I said it was no problem for me. We park our car quite a ways from the garage entrance anyhow.

So, this group of kids brought balls over and started shooting hoops. The woman's son emerged from the house, and soon they were all shooting baskets and making up rules for some game or another. School's out after today, and I expect these new friendships will grow and thrive. Good for you, Mom! Plus, I get to hear the noise of kids having fun, and that's a good thing.

Maybe there's a lesson for us that can be applied to politics. Maybe we can put something attractive out where people can see it and they might come over to our side to play. That'd be great.