Mary Alice Closing in “Art Isn’t Easy”

"It's the same for all of us. We try not to get too close to the people who live next door. It's easier to give them a polite nod than to ask what's wrong. It's safer to keep walking by than to get involved. True, we sometimes do get to know the people we share a fence with, and end up lifelong friends. But mostly, we keep our distance. Because we'd rather our neighbors know nothing about us than know too much."