Susan Pinker’s book, The Village Effect , makes a compelling case for something central to my work with University of Missouri Extension and Missouri Good Neighbor Week: our relationships with other people are not simply a social luxury. They are an important part of our health and well-being. Pinker, a developmental psychologist, draws on research in neuroscience, psychology, and sociology to explain how face-to-face interactions—from close friendships to everyday encounters with acquaintances and neighbors—can influence how long we live, how happy we feel, and how well we cope with life’s challenges. Six health benefits of being a connected neighbor 1. A longer life Pinker highlights research linking strong social relationships and frequent in-person interaction with greater longevity. The people around us can influence our survival through emotional support, practical help, and encouragement to care for ourselves. Her book explores how longevity is partly a team effort. 2....

  What do block parties, butterfly gardens, backyard ice rinks and front-yard picnic tables have in common? In one Grand Rapids, Michigan, neighborhood, they are all part of the simple but powerful practice of being good neighbors. And they are part of the story Pastor Amy Schenkel will share as an upcoming guest of Neighboring 101 , a national learning series hosted by University of Missouri Extension. Schenkel was born in Grand Rapids and has spent her entire life in the city. She and her husband raised their family in the same home where they still live. Over the years, their city block has become more than a collection of houses. It has become a caring community where neighbors know one another, spend time together and create opportunities for connection. Their neighborhood has discovered something important: Belonging doesn't happen by accident. It grows when people intentionally make room for one another. Sometimes that looks like a block party. Other times, it is a butterfly...

The sun is rising. Otis and I are out for our morning walk. He’s 11 years old, and for 10½ years, we’ve walked two miles a day at least 350 days a year. Do the math. That is at least  7,350 miles together. Not bad for a little 10-pound dog! Of course, we haven’t covered those miles in a straight line. Our route meanders back and forth along sidewalks and trails. And about 15 times per walk, Otis finds a shrub that requires his immediate attention. That’s roughly 55,000 stops over the years. And after each one, he scratches the grass as if he’s completing some important landscaping project. Watching Otis, I’ve realized there are some pretty good life lessons in our walks. 1. Consistency matters more than intensity. We didn’t set out to walk 7,350 miles. We just went for a walk today, then again tomorrow. Small, repeated actions add up to something remarkable. Relationships, friendships, and community are built the same way. 2. Don’t be so focused on the destination that...

I saw a social media post recently that made me stop and think: “Your small town isn’t going to improve because you complained about it in a Facebook group filled with 6,000 other people who also refuse to get involved.” Ouch.  There is a little truth in that statement, isn’t there? We complain about the lack of things to do. We complain that downtown is struggling, that community events are poorly attended, that nobody seems to care anymore, and that our neighbors keep to themselves. We lament that our town isn’t what it used to be. We scroll through Facebook, add our own commentary, and perhaps feel a little better because we have found other people who share our frustrations. But what if the problem isn’t just that our communities have shortcomings? What if part of the problem is that we have forgotten our own responsibility for making them better? It’s easy to identify what is wrong with a community. It’s harder to take responsibility for improving it. We want ...

  New statewide research on neighbors offers both encouragement and a challenge. The encouragement is that neighborliness is alive and well in Missouri. People wave. They talk across driveways. They help each other. Most believe a neighbor would come through if they suddenly needed assistance. The challenge is that many of those relationships never progress much beyond the surface. That may be the most important lesson from our newest State of Neighboring survey: Missourians do not necessarily need to be convinced that neighbors matter. We need to help people take the next small step in building a relationship. We Have Plenty of Waves The most common neighbor interaction in Missouri is exactly what you might expect: 70.8% of residents wave or say hello to their neighbors. About half have face-to-face conversations (52%) or spontaneous conversations outside (51.3%).  Those are encouraging numbers. But participation declines as the relationship requires more investment. Only 31...