Do you know your neighbors?
ByIt’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor, won’t you be mine, could you be mine?
O.K, realistically speaking, everything cannot be as peachy as Mr. Rogers and his neighbors, but a strong community that understands and communicates well with each other is important. You don’t have to be best friends with your neighbor and invite them over every time you and your family fire up the grill, but you should keep an open-mind as to forming some sort, even if limited, relationship with them down the road.
The goal today is to work your way up to at least five, either major or minor, relationships with your neighbors. A minor relationship can simply be going over there next time you see them out and introducing yourself. Just engage in small talk such as where are you from, how long have you lived here, do you have any kids, and other general questions of that matter. You be the judge of how far you want to take the conversation. Who knows, you might meet someone with a lot of the same interests as you and your family or maybe they are the complete opposite. The point is you made an effort. A major relationship is someone you feel comfortable with and trust. Someone you can swap phone numbers with so you can call them either for a cup of sugar, or an emergency. Someone who lives close by who you can contact, God forbid, in case of an emergency is important to have. Make at least one person or couple you start a relationship with someone you can label an “emergency contact”.
If you take a look at yourself and don’t have that type of relationship with someone that lives by you, make it a goal to establish one. If you see them out struggling with shoveling the snow, maybe go over and clear out a section of their side walk and start up a conversation. Go for a walk on a cool summer night and try to interact with the people close to you. Don’t hold yourself back from communicating with the people that live around you. Don’t be intrusive or abnoxious but certainly don’t hide in the shadows.
Overall, try and create 5 relationships, either major or minor, with people that live close to you. Make sure you can label at least one them your “emergency contact”. So in the words of the always cheerful Mr. Rogers…
won’t you please, won’t you please, please won’t you be…my neighbor.
