Not-so-Neighborly

QUESTION:
Dear Pop Shrinks,
Recently at my neighbor's party, I overheard her talking about me to her close friend. She made it seem as if she just sort of tolerated me. I didn't actually catch her saying any of this, but I heard it and it made me feel like she thinks she's too cool for me. It hurt my feelings. Normally, I don't care too much about what people say, especially if I don't know them. But she is my neighbor, and I see her almost every day. And I thought we were friends, but I guess not. What should I do?

ANSWER:

Are you the Ned Flanders of the neighborhood? Have you been missing obvious clues that your neighbor doesn't like you, like when she steals your paper, blatantly ignores your friendly overtures , and makes fun of you with her family? If so, you have to ask yourself, "Do I enjoy being blissfully unaware, or do I want to stop spending my energy trying to befriend people who write songs about how stupid I am?" If the latter, I would suggest that you remain cordial to your neighbor but don't utter more than a "hello" or "nice day". Find people in the neighborhood who share your interests and are more sincere. You may be surprised when sooner or later your aloof personality makes your neighbor become more friendly. She might even pull a Homer and start calling you her "Best Friend."