"The Art Of Being A Neighbor" by Eve Birch

     In her essay “The Art of Being a Neighbor” by Eve Birch, she found herself homeless and alone after a lifetime of working towards the quintessential American dream. With her truck and virtually no money she located an abandoned shack over the Potomac River in West Virginia. With only the bare necessities Birch began to work to distract and heal herself.  Her neighbors, who knew nothing about her, began checking on her and dropping off goods and teaching her essential skills. Her belief in what the American dream began to change. She learned “The Art of Being a Neighbor” and understood that her relationships with her neighbors were her most valuable possession. Ultimately, her belief in what the American dream was changed from individual success to what we can all get together.