52 Weeks of Neighboring - Week 47

Neighboring Tip of the Week -My New Year’s resolution is to meet all the neighbors on my block or in my complex.Happy New Year to you and yours! 2022 is here!Now we have to get used to writing “2022”...We know that remembering is challenging, but don’t worry; we’re all in this together! (Also, is it just us, or was 2021 one of the fastest years we can remember?)New Year’s resolutions. We’re hearing all about these during this time of year. The history behind New Year’s resolutions is quite rich, as noted by an interesting History.com article. From the ancient Babylonians, to the ancient Romans, to early Christians, New Year’s resolution-like practices have been occurring for many years. Seemingly, humanity has often viewed this as a time to reflect on the past and make changes for the future. We think this applies to neighboring, as well! With this in mind, we have decided for this week’s tip to take the form of a statement: My New Year’s resolution is to meet all the neighbors on my block or in my complex. Maybe you’ve never met all of the neighbors on your block or in your complex, or maybe you’ve met them all. No matter which of these categories you fall into, we think this is the perfect time to reflect upon your own practices of good neighboring.We recognize the implications of this tip could be embarrassing. Telling someone who has lived on your block for a long period of time that you haven’t met them or that you don’t know their name is not so easy. We’ve found that one of the best ways to meet neighbors under such circumstances is to name any embarrassment that may be present. This can be something as simple as, “Hey, I’m Penelope Clearwater from around the corner. I'm embarrassed to say I don’t know your name.” Isn’t getting to meet your neighbors worth a little awkwardness?Happy neighboring!