A caller to "Sound Off!" this week brings up a great idea for taking care of these dead or dying lawns that plaque neighborhoods where foreclosures have pushed out families. The caller suggests that neighbors could drag a sprinkler over and also mow the grass every week.

True, the action wouldn't be totally selfless. After all, the effort means the difference between living next door to a dead yellow lawn or living next door to a green and thriving lawn.

This suggestion brings me to ask this: Are we too busy in our lives to not be better neighbors and residents? Are we so wrapped up in our own interests that we couldn't lift a finger to help out the community?

I sometimes feel like a voice crying in the wilderness on this one. Let me explain. One of the thing that irks me to no end is the presence of garbage littering the streets. We have a vast segment of the population that wouldn't bat an eye to throw down an empty soda container, candy or fast food wrapper or ATM receipt. It doesn't bother them that they trash the community; it bugs the heck out of me. The intensity of my disgust was so high I decided that complaining wasn't going to help; that I needed to start picking up trash when I see it.

Now I normally do not end my run through my neighborhood without a handful of collected trash. I drop it in my garbage can since there's plenty of space due to recycling efforts. One recent morning my wife and I decided to clean up a prominent corner where trash was accumulated.

It would be nice if others did the same. Not likely though.

How do you feel? Let Jeff know by emailing him at jeffb@cerescourier.com