We Are Neighbors

I have been attending meetings of some area homeowners’ associations and the agendas and board discussions seem to be written by the same person. Agenda topics almost always include people late in paying dues, problems with cars or basketball goals blocking sidewalks, trailers or RVs, permission to make changes to a home, barking dogs and neighborhood violations.  The topic of empty seats on the board and a need for volunteers always come up too. If you have attended public or community-based meetings in southwest Missouri over the last two or three years, those meetings are starting to sound the same too. The focus is on issues like unruly youth, police, drug sales, lose of local merchants, school issues, lack of space for community use, hand complaints about the unresponsiveness of city officials. In both types of meetings, deliberation centers on who is to blame for each issue and what can be done to change them after identifying the issues. Typically, the blame falls ...

What follows are fun, easy, and inspiring ideas for gathering. These ideas come from a combination of my experiences and our partners' recommendations. These are just ideas – you decide what works best in your neighborhood. The most important thing is that whatever you choose, remember the goal is to build relationships and connections among neighbors, not entertain them. Gathering ideas: Yard sale (with neighbor discount) Ice cream social Donuts in the driveway Goodies in the garage Pancakes on the porch Book exchange Outdoor movie screening Neighborhood walking tour Kite flying Bake sale for charity Whiffle ball tournament Ping pong tournament Slip and slide Lemonade stand Cookie exchange Get a lawn charge and a cooler with drinks for a driveway chat with neighbors

  I get a daily Google Alert by email with links to stories, articles, and videos that use the phrase "Love Your Neighbor." Skimming those links shows hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of what that phrase is not. First, "love your neighbor" is not a political weapon. A popular weaponization of the phrase is to claim a particular politician is not true to their values because they are not approving of a policy that others have determined represents the action of "loving your neighbor." You can lump many of today's hot-button political topics in this category. But loving your neighbor is not a phrase about political policy.  Second, "love your neighbor" is not a yardstick you use to determine how others measure up. Very clearly, the statement is personal and demands an answer to this question: how do YOU love your neighbors? I see in other articles the author's finger-pointing at others. But, loving your neighbor is not a phrase meant...

  I was never part of the "in crowd" growing up. I do not know that I especially aspired to be when I was younger, but as an adult, it does look like fun! Unfortunately, being part of the "in crowd" is often based on what we can do for someone else. And it often focuses on exterior appearance. As I often share with others, I personally have a face for radio. But also as an adult, I have discovered that we are not called to be part of the in crowd. We are called to reach out to and include those who are invisible.  I also cannot claim to have done that well. But I sure aspire to do better. It starts with identifying the "invisible" or those who are overlooked. This would include individuals like widows, persons who are disabled, the lonely and the forgotten.  Pay attention to the invisible! Not only do they have talents to offer, but I know for me personally, we are commanded to reach them, not forget them. Pause and take note of those on your street who ar...

Finding a good neighborhood to call home is an accomplishment for many people. Just Google “great neighborhoods” and pages of results will appear. Multiple websites have been developed to find the best neighborhoods, greatest schools, and safest communities. But what qualifies these neighborhoods as being good and how can we make our own neighborhoods better? Tim DeTellis, author of “Good Neighbors Make Great Neighborhoods,” believes great neighborhoods begin with people taking agency as neighbors.   In his TEDx Eustis, Florida talk “Are You a Good Neighbor”, Tim DeTellis admits he wasn’t always a good neighbor. His lifestyle and career had limited Tim’s interactions with his local community. He’d often come home after traveling for work and isolate himself in his house. Habits like these had created a divide between Tim and those living closest to him. He had neighbors to his left and right, but he only knew their names. Tim DeTellis hadn’t always lived in seclusion. Growing u...