We Are Neighbors

I n "Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing," Pete Davis offers a compelling exploration of how commitment—the act of dedicating oneself to a single pursuit or cause—can be both a transformative personal virtue and an antidote to the overwhelming choices that define modern life. In a world where constant distractions and an ever-expanding array of options can paralyze decision-making, Davis argues that making intentional, sustained commitments is crucial for living a meaningful, fulfilling life. The book is part memoir, part philosophical essay, and part cultural critique. Davis draws on his own experiences—especially his time as a writer, thinker, and political activist—as well as a wide array of historical and contemporary examples to make his case. He examines the psychology of choice and how our hyper-connected, hyper-competitive world often undermines our ability to focus deeply on anything for long periods.  Through interviews with people who

  Last month I was helping some men in a Springfield neighborhood and the political signs in a yard nearly derailed our service project. The plan had been to change smoke detector batteries for neighbors who were widows, elderly or sick. The group of men embraced the idea, excited to do something for their neighbors that was helpful.  We divided into teams and headed off to our assigned addresses.  The second home my team approached had a yard full of political campaign signs. It caused the man carrying the ladder to stop at the driveway and ask, “Are we sure about this one?” I assured him it would be fine. We rang the doorbell and went in. Not only was this a widow, but she also had an older disabled son she was looking after following surgery. We went about our work. She kept a close eye on us as we moved around the house. She mentioned some other needs around the house. And whenever we got close, her son talked about local sports teams. We finished and left the house. Near the end o

  One of the core principles in my engaged neighbor principles (engagedneighbor.com) is empathy, a significant part of building trust among immediate neighbors.  Many years ago, my wife and I had a dear friend who got home from work and found her husband dead on the front porch. Their house was on a well traveled street and we often wondered how many people had seen him fall, or seen him laying on the porch and didn’t bother to stop and check or help. In good situations, your neighbors are often your first responders because of proximity. But it does seem more common for neighbors to pass by and simply not notice the need of another human. Some might say it has to do with being a distracted driver. I think it probably tells more of a story about our growing self-centeredness and our lack of empathy for others. In the tapestry of human society, the concept of trust serves as one of the foundational threads, especially in immediate communities. Neighbors, those residing closest to us geo

  In a growing trend among cities in the northern half of the United States, more neighboring departments are creating Snow Buddy or Snow Angel programs. A few examples include: Arvada, Colorado Englewood, Colorado Alexandria, Virginia Kansas City, Missouri While the organization of these programs does variety the goal is similar: to help people who are eldering and disabled get their sidewalk, driveway or car dug out following snowstorms. In most of these examples, people who need help also register and the city works to match volunteers who are able to do some digging with those who need help. But as the program in Englewood discovered, both groups benefit. Max and Barb have been snow buddies for the past 4 years. Max enjoys being a snow buddy and said, "It was nice to help with something I am able to do relatively fast and to be able to check in on each other as well during a crazy storm." Barb appreciates the snow buddies program and said, "The program has been wonde

Americans are so busy. Don’t believe it just ask us.  Americans tend to take on too many projects, commit to too many things, get overwhelmed and then proceed to tell everyone how busy they are!  We need to find ways to slow down.  One way to slow down is a walk around the neighborhood. Many times my dog Otis is with me and I walk and stop at his pace, but even then these early morning and late evening walks cause me to slow down and see the neighborhood at a slower pace than I would from the driver’s seat of my car. And when you slow down, you notice things. You notice lights in windows. You notice the glow of light around doorways. You sometimes hear activity inside the homes or the voice of a barking dog. You also notice mailboxes that are tilting, shrubs that need to be trimmed and trees that are dying. I read recently about a poetry day activity and that put me to thinking about the words that come to mind when I walk the sidewalks of my neighborhood. And once I had key words, I t

  Asking questions and getting feedback is especially important for successfully launching a RepMo Rotary Club. As of 11-13-27, 29 residents of the Republic have taken our informational survey. Some trends are sharing up.  MEETING FREQUENCY: For example, when we asked about meeting frequency (and participants could select more than one option), 35% chose monthly meetings, 45% said monthly meetings with service projects, and 55% selected monthly meetings with occasional service or social events. LOCATION: There has yet to be a clear consensus, although survey takers gave many ideas. But, the number gets manageable if I eliminate the ideas that do not have a separate meeting area. The possibilities are minimal if I eliminate the remaining options that require a fee or a minimum purchase to use the room. If the goal is to keep our membership cost under $100 a year, the club must meet at a location hosted at a member's business or the Republic Library. The library could be a solid opti

Inspired by the documentary "Join or Die," I am working to form a Rotary Club in Republic, the largest town in southern Missouri without a Rotary Club.  If you would like to know more, see my Rotary Club survey online here . Or email me and I will send you a survey link.  After taking the survey, watch for updates about a future Republic Rotary Club. We need a minimum of 20 charter members to start a club in 2025. In my opinion, here are the top reasons to start your journey now toward joining a Rotary Club in Republic. 1. Professional Networking: A founding principle of Rotary was to meet periodically to enjoy camaraderie and enlarge one’s circle of business, community and professional acquaintances. As the oldest service club in the world, Rotary club members represent a cross-section of the community’s owners, executives, managers, political leaders, and professionals. 2. Service Opportunities: Club members have many opportunities for humanitarian service, both locally and