Reflection Week Reflections pt. 2

Hello all! If you missed the last blog, then here’s your quick rundown! Since this week is Reflection Week for 52 Weeks of Neighboring, I figure it is only fitting that I reflect upon my own neighboring experiments with the weekly tips, as well! I hope these reflections prove honest and maybe even inspiring. I am reflecting upon the tips from the last three weeks in October, the second of which was “Meet your trash collector - offer them a cup of coffee.”

Again, like the last one, this tip was slightly uncomfortable at first. Who knows how long our neighborhood trash collector has been coming to our house? Yet that day, October 27, 2017, was the day to finally meet him. And I did! I was all ready and waiting with coffee when the big truck rolled around the corner, and I’ll never forget the smile that broke out upon his face when he realized what I was doing. That first week, my family had some bags of leaves to be picked up, so after bestowing the coffee, I was then able to help him throw the bags into the truck. I think I was too excited to do anything else. The second week, I bought some bigger, insulated cups, and I figured it would be a good idea to ask if he preferred cream or sugar. I thought I should probably do this pretty early on so that if he did prefer any of the two, I would be able to start delivering coffee he truly enjoyed (though I am very much so a fan of black coffee, I don’t necessarily force anyone to drink it against their will…). It turns out he actually does prefer cream and sugar, so I’m glad I asked earlier as opposed to later! So yes, as odd and somewhat embarrassing as this is, I didn’t find out our trash collector’s name until the third week of delivering him coffee. While it would have been ideal to know his name a bit sooner, I am joyful that I know it now and also that I learned so much else along the way!