Our Neighbor ~ Phil

Phil is in his eighties and is almost always in his pajamas. Rumor has it that "old man Phil" fell asleep a few years ago with a cigarette in his hand and caught his couch on fire. No one was hurt. His day usually consists of reading the paper which is delivered to his door every morning or reading many books in his apartment, chain smoking, watching the news or old movies and even sometimes listening to music. He waits for the mail man every day and takes his trash out twice a week! I introduced myself to Phil the first week we moved in when I saw him putting out his recycle bins to take to the recycle center. He asked about me, my husband and the kids. An hour later he knew little about me our family and I knew quite a lot about him. He is from Alton Illinois so we share the Midwest friendliness! He says that people here in Oregon "don't give a shit about making friends." He had me come into his apartment where he showed me pictures of his wife who passed away a while ago, his daughter who lives here in Oregon and is a Nurse at the local hospital and his son who committed suicide in his twenties. His son suffered from multiple personality disorder and schizophrenia. Phil says he does not wish that disease on anyone. His wife always blamed herself for their son's illness and was never the same after he passed. Since then when I see Phil I always say hello which always turns into at least a 20 minute conversation where he tells me more about his college love and the many women who wanted him, his drinking habits, work ethic, fraternity, college classes and much more! The kids and I have made Phil muffins and have taken him homemade chocolate chip cookies. He is a very lonely man who never has visitors that we've seen. I am happy to have Phil as our neighbor and hope that having us as neighbors makes him smile.