The Impact of One Person on a Neighborhood


What difference can one person make?

There are of course the types of examples that get turned into movies and for which books are written. Examples where one person stands up for what is right and wins. Examples where one person works so hard and persists until the point of accomplishment.

But what if you could make a difference just by being kind?

Sounds like a tall order until you read about how Mister Rogers' hometown is known for kindness. Chris Rodell's book on Mister Rogers' hometown documents how visitors and new residents often comment on how nice people are in the town and wonder if it is some sort of gag.

One new police officer to town told how he pulled a resident over to give the driver a speeding ticket. The driver said "thank you" and gave the police offer a cold bottle of water (it was a hot day). There are a number of other examples that make it apparent that Mister Rogers' behavior made a permanent impact on the town.

You may not have a show on PBS but you can make a difference in your neighborhood and maybe your whole community. It begins with taking a few steps forward and making kindness your practice.

We have no idea how even the most minuscule gesture might resonate with the recipient. Mental health studies on altruism indicate doing good deeds reduces stress, improves emotional well-being, and even improves our physical health. 

As Fred Rogers says, "The real issue in life is not how many blessings we have but what to do with our blessings. Some people have many blessings and hold them, a few give them away." 

I’m like most of you: high-profile I’m rarely in a position to do high-profile good deeds. But there is an alternative to doing one superheroic headline-grabbing good deedlow-profile, that is to do a bunch of low profile good deeds.

When you give kindness, you get kindness in the long-run and there is no better time to start than now.

###

Does this article make you interested in taking the Engaged Neighbor pledge? Five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com.

Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Five Cities Named Most Neighborly in Missouri for 2024

Image
  Photo above: From a block party in Ferguson, Missouri. New to Missouri Good Neighbor Week this year was recognition for the most neighborly cities in the state.  This honor was based on points earned by participating in the week, city campaigns and proclamations, residents making nominations for most engaged neighbor and reporting acts of neighboring, and statewide or local prizes won.  "The goal was to further engage cities with Missouri Good Neighbor Week and we had over 12 pass proclamations and at least 12 that had organized city-wide efforts for Missouri Good Neighbor Week," said David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension and creator of Missouri Good Neighbor Week. "We ended the week with over 31,000 documented acts of neighboring and five cities worthy of the title 'most neighborly city' in Missouri." In 2024, five cities were named the most neighborly cities in Missouri: Houston, Excelsior Springs, Sikeston,...
Read more

MU Extension Announces Show Me Neighborhood Art Week June 1-15

Image
  To participate in Show Me Neighborhood Art Week, Missourians  must register here online . The registration deadline for Show Me Neighborhood Art Week is May 24. Preexisting and new public art can be registered, but only new art can be considered for prizes. The location for this event is ALL of Missouri -- your front yard, your neighborhood, and your community. The online state map marking locations around Missouri will be interactive. If you have questions, please see the contact emails at the end of this blog. SPRINGFIELD, MO. -  University of Missouri Extension has announced the launch of a new statewide public art exhibit called Show Me Neighborhood Art Week. This outreach program strives to promote creative expression and public art made by residents, regardless of their skill level, as a contribution to the community's sense of place and residents' sense of belonging. The initiative was inspired by LAWN (Lawn Art With Neighbors), a grassroots program launched in S...
Read more

Missouri's Most Engaged Neighbors Honored as Part of Missouri Good Neighbor Week

Image
  During Missouri Good Neighbor Week 2024, over 120 individuals were nominated as Missouri's Most Engaged Neighbor, and 22 were selected for individual recognition. Our Missouri celebration also got national attention from NextDoor, the social media company, whose leadership team worked with us to create a post that went out nationwide on NextDoor on Sept. 27.  You can access it here . At that point, another 50 nominations poured in from across the state. "The nominations were of really high quality this year," said David Burton, community development specialist with University of Missouri Extension and creator of Missouri Good Neighbor Week. "Every nominee should have received a letter letting them know of the nomination and a memento, a Missouri Good Neighbor Week nominee keychain." The top nominees (22 this year) will receive a check for $100 and an official award certificate. In past years, there have been 50 to 60 nominations. But this year, the window for ...
Read more