52 Weeks of Neighboring - Week 31

Neighboring Tip of the Week - Introduce yourself to someone on your block whom you have not met.

If you have been a part of 52 Weeks of Neighboring for a while, there is a good chance you have met some of your neighbors. You might have even met them all! But, that being said, we know doing so can be hard, so are there any neighbors you have not yet met? This week, we encourage you to think about if there is someone on your block that you have not met, and if there is, we challenge you to introduce yourself to them! If you have been experimenting with our neighboring tips, there is a good chance the neighbors you have not yet met are also the most secluded. They could be new to the neighborhood, unable to leave their home easily, or speak a different language than you. But we should not misinterpret their seclusion as avoidance; our guess is that they are longing to see a friendly face in the neighborhood! If you discover there is a language barrier, perhaps you can see if there are any other neighbors who are bilingual and could help introduce you. You may also want to experiment with Google Translate, which can be a super helpful way to carry on a conversation with a neighbor even if you don’t speak their language! To learn more about neighboring with language barriers, click here to listen to one of our podcast episodes devoted to the subject.

If you are new to the neighborhood and there are multiple neighbors on your block you have not yet met, we also challenge you to introduce yourself to one of them! A good place to start thinking about these introductions is with the neighbors behind the 8 front doors closest to your own. Just take it slow, and go at your own pace! When we give neighboring advice, we also often suggest a block map. A block map is a simple diagram of the 8 homes closest to yours with space to fill in your neighbors’ names. As you get to know your neighbors better, you can expand the block map to include their gifts and interests in order to help foster more connections on your block.

Of course, as you’re experimenting with this tip in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, make sure that you introduce yourself to your neighbor in a way that allows you both to remain distanced. We would suggest knocking on their door and then walking a little ways away so that you can have an in-person conversation with them but from a distance. If the neighbor is hard to catch, you can also leave a note. Also, as we’ve encouraged in other tips, you can even use covid as a way to help start the conversation! Saying something like, “In the midst of this pandemic, I think it’s important for neighbors to be connected, so I wanted to meet you.” is a fantastic way to “break the ice” with neighbors and help them know you’re truly just knocking on their door in order to get to know them. Then, just be sure to share your name and ask theirs, and if you feel comfortable doing so, share your contact info and ask for theirs, as well! Happy experimenting, and...

Happy neighboring!