Good Neighbors

I am still trying to do each of the Monday postings taken from everymondaymatters.com. Monday 36 was about being a good neighbor. We've lived in this neighborhood for 13 years. The only neighbors we really know are the family next door. In this neighborhood it seems like no one is ever outside. So we don't get to know or greet anyone. This seems really sad, doesn't it?

So here are some good tips for getting to know your neighbors taken from the mondaymatters website:

"Does your mailman know your neighbors better than you do? It’s not enough to just drive by and wave to neighbors from your car window. To get to know your neighbors, you need to have personal interaction with them. But these days, people spend more time indoors watching TV and surfing the Internet than they do outside playing catch, taking walks, and talking to their neighbors. Change that pattern…

*People spend less than 15 minutes per day doing outside chores and gardening compared to over 3 hours watching TV or movies and surfing on the Internet.
*The average American person or family has friends over for dinner about 45% less often than people (they?) did in the 70s.
*The increased number of fenced backyards, coupled with the disappearance of front porches and verandas, has privatized residences more than ever.

TAKE ACTION TODAY
*Meet a neighbor you’ve never met before. Simply knock on the door and introduce yourself. *Take over something you’ve baked or grown in your garden, or invite them to your house for a *beverage or a snack.
*Make yourself more available to your neighbors.
*Mow your front lawn, wash your car, go for a walk, or play with your children outside. Or, if you see neighbors doing the same, go out and visit.
*Plan a neighborhood yard sale or a block party.
*Write a quarterly neighborhood newsletter.

Remember, you have to be a good neighbor to have a good neighbor. "

We do have someone who printed a neighborhood directory and put it in our mailbox--anonymously--so we can't even thank them. A block party would be fun but since it's October already we will have to wait until next spring or summer. So it looks like I will have to try some of the other tips. What is your neighborhood like? Do you have any other tips for us?