I continue past Kidričevo and through Lovrenc na Dravskem polju, then arrive in Sestrže. In the middle of the village, I turn left uphill and I am here, in a small hamlet called Upper Sestrže. There are about ten houses and a few more souls.
What do we share in our little neighbourhood? First, of course, the place of residence. A beautiful natural setting on the edge of the Drava field, which transitions into the initial parts of the rugged Halo hills. From here you can see the top of Boča, Donačka gora and Pohorje. And the forests that flood the landscape as far as the eye can see, right down to the green meadows and pastures nearby. There are also some vineyards and orchards in between, and small gardens next to the houses.
What divides us? What makes us different? We are all very different people living on this piece of paradise. Just like everywhere. We are wage earners and pensioners. We are permanent settlers and weekenders. We are young and old, although the average - to tell you the truth - quite high. We have different educational backgrounds, professions and hobbies. We are small farmers, livestock breeders, musicians, gardeners, writers, entrepreneurs, wine growers and you name it. In addition, we all have our own problems, illnesses, worries, but also special joys and personal pleasures. We are indeed different from one another, but at the same time we have something that is incomparably greater than all the individual differences between us.
What is our common value? We have good neighbourly relations. We respect each other and help each other. There is no resentment, gossip or jealousy between us, as we rejoice not only in our own successes and achievements, but also in those of our neighbours. This is the atmosphere in which we like to socialise; whether casually during the day's chores or for a little longer on festive occasions. Every summer, we also organise a neighbourhood picnic under the slogan: A good neighbour is the best luck! All this creates community harmony, good feelings and peace and contentment in all of us.
Good neighbourly relations, that is. Is that the key to a better life for people? It seems almost too simple to be true. Yet I dare to dream: If we can have good neighbourly relations in our hamlet, then maybe that could be true for the whole village. If people within one village have good relationships with each other, perhaps we could have similar relationships with people in another village. Perhaps good relations could spread to a larger city, perhaps even a country, the European Union, and perhaps they could also affect a larger part of the world. Maybe? A difficult task, isn't it? It will be enough to start by maintaining and strengthening the quality ties in our midst.
People in our hamlet are very different from each other. Just like everywhere. And at the same time, we enjoy good neighbourly relations. You can find them elsewhere, but not everywhere, although it would be desirable!
Bojan Rus, 15. 6. 2025
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