Mr. Boyer

This is my neighbor and friend, J. Boyer.

As his neighbor for a little more than 18 years, I have come to know Jan as a kind, caring and generous man. Mr. Boyer is old enough to be my father, yet he can still out-work anyone half his age. He has earned his living as a landscaper, and has made a good life for himself. Mr. Boyer single handedly designed and constructed a large waterfall display at his commercial property on Old Pineville Road, solely to provide beauty for commuters and passerbys. He maintains a robust garden and provides his neighbors and charitable organizations with fresh vegetables. Should you happen to have a conversation with him, you will surely learn about his amazing mother, how he tends to his cats, and perhaps you'll hear a bit about how he was a championship Ballroom Dancer, a hobby he took up in his 50's.

At his age, he surely went through his formative years in a time when he and my father were not very likely to have been friends. At one point they could not, or perhaps would not share a drink from the same fountain, or a seat on a bus. But I am delighted to have experienced Mr Jan as someone who would make fun of my inability to keep a green lawn, mock me for planting a bush in the fall, that would die at first frost, and give me grief for not rotating my tires on time, just as my father would have. Mr. Jan is the same old salt to everyone. Proud to be his neighbor.