Over the Fence: We Can't Help If We Hide

We Can't Help If We Hide

“D oes everyone know what time it is?” What words come to mind next? If you were a sitcom watcher in the 90s, you know the automatic reply is, “Tool Time!”

Actor Tim Allen played Tim Taylor, a funny handyman hack starring in his own local cable home improvement show alongside the steady and competent contractor, Al Borland. People on the show loved Al. He was hard-working, loyal and constantly perturbed by Tim’s shenanigans. The show was a bit of a comedic parody of the real home improvement show, “This Old House,” starring Bob Vila.

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor routinely made a mess of his show and the projects they undertook, and this often carried over to his own life. He frequently depended on his natural charm to bail him out of failure after failure. Those closest to him were not always so charmed, particularly his wife Jill. When Tim ran out of tools for fixing his relationships, the one person he always turned to would be his wise but quirky next-door neighbor, Wilson. In story terms, Wilson’s character was the guide. He was not a dynamic character, but Tim could never get where he wanted to go in life without Wilson’s sage advice. It was always timely, and it always resonated with Tim.

The interesting thing about Wilson

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is that we never really got to know him. Very few things about him personally were ever revealed. This was clearly purposeful by the writers, so much so that we never even saw his whole face. Most of the time, the fence between their yards blocked the bottom half of Wilson’s face. Later, the writers found creative ways to continue this running sight gag. They would use props like books, menus or coffee mugs to block parts of his face. They would incorporate wardrobe elements like masks or scarves, and sometimes they even used other people to block a full view of the character’s visage throughout every episode of the show’s eight-season run. It became a schtick routine all its own, and the writers scored extra laughs as they found more and more clever ways to intentionally hide his face.

That oddity always stuck with me. However, despite the hilarious lengths the writers went to in order to hide Wilson’s identity, I never quite knew why. All these years later, I think I finally do. Have you ever seen the Sesame Street segment, “One of These Things is Not Like the Other,” where several objects are shown so the viewer can identify the one that doesn’t fit by the end of the song? It’s a game for children, of course, but as an adult, I finally know what doesn’t fit. A neighbor should never be unknown. A neighbor should never be completely hidden behind a fence. Sure, we all need our privacy at times, but it’s the object that doesn’t fit. It’s almost like Wilson’s hidden face is begging the question, what lengths do each of us go to in order to hide from our neighbors? Physically, yes, but also metaphorically. Maybe it’s not a privacy fence, but all of us tend to hide behind something. Meanwhile, our neighbor Tim needs help.

Hopefully, we have all had a neighbor like Wilson. I know I have. Rather than living next door, my “Wilson” lived two houses down. He often invited me over after mowing the lawn or working in the garden to sit on the back porch to have a cold drink and a few laughs. My kiddos were very young then. His were grown up. His experience and light-hearted attitude helped me more times than I can count.

It’s not always easy to know someone and be known. At some point, however, our neighbors are going to need us, and we can’t help if we are hidden behind the fence. So, here’s to being brave and showing our true selves to our neighbors. It’s relational tool time.

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