Older adults are often described as “offline,” but the reality is more complicated. Many seniors do use technology, but others may struggle with cost, confidence, physical limitations, or preferences. The key is not choosing technology *or* personal relationships. It is using both wisely. Encourage low-tech neighboring. A phone call, handwritten note, porch visit, or regular check-in often means more than an app. Many older adults value consistency and personal attention over digital communication. Create neighborhood contact networks. Block captains, neighborhood associations, or volunteer teams can organize simple systems for checking on older residents during storms, illness, or extreme heat. Use “bridge people.” Grandchildren, neighbors, caregivers, librarians, and volunteers can help older adults access technology when needed while still maintaining personal relationships. Meet people where they already gather. Senior centers, churches, coffee shops, meal programs, barber...

  This movie (A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks) is being screened at the Moxie Cinema in Springfield, Missouri, on Sunday, Oct. 3 at 2:30 p.m. to conclude Missouri Good Neighbor Week. Tickets are  free and available online  but are limited in number. "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman (which is the book that is the basis for the movie, "A Man Called Otto"), is a touching and emotional novel about love, loss, and the power of community. At first, Ove seems like a grumpy old man who has no patience for anyone. He follows strict rules, dislikes change, and believes things should always be done the right way—his way. However, as the story unfolds, readers discover there is much more to Ove than just his tough exterior. His story is both heartwarming and inspiring, showing us the importance of kindness, understanding, and the impact we have on the lives of those around us. One of the most powerful aspects of this book is its message about relationships with neighbors....

Amid the hustle and bustle of our lives -- where we run from one appointment to another, one ball game or movie to another, and still require time to check our Facebook feed -- what would you do if a lonely neighbor reached out to you for friendship? Say, for example, that a widow living near you asked you to be her friend and come visit regularly? Or what if a neighboring couple was struggling with their marriage and asked for help and advice? Perhaps a neighbor's family finds themselves struggling when a parent loses a job. Would you have time to help in any of these situations? Or is this part of the reason you do not want to get involved with your neighbors?  Some research from 2016 by State Farm shows that nearly one-third of people do not connect with their neighbors because they do not want the "mess." I'd say the majority of people who do not connect with neighbors simply do not want to invest their time in anyone else. I think we call that selfishness. Well t...

What if you really put your whole self into neighboring? Not the polite wave. Not the occasional “let me know if you need anything.” But the kind of neighboring where you lean in far enough to actually discover the person living ten steps from your front door. Living near someone is geography. Knowing someone is a choice. And when you make that choice, something surprising happens: you begin to notice things you would have otherwise missed — small habits, routines, and sometimes wonderfully unusual passions. That was the case in a heart-warming story shared by Steve Hartman on CBS. In one ordinary neighborhood lived an elderly woman whose joy in life could be summed up in three words: the hokey pokey. She loved the song. Not casually. Not nostalgically. But wholeheartedly. She played it often. She sang it loudly. And whenever it came on, she didn’t just listen — she danced. Now, it would have been easy for neighbors to dismiss this as quirky background noise. The ki...