There are things we can very specifically do in order to practice the wisdom of stability that I blogged about yesterday. I don’t claim to practice all these but I do stand behind them as some basic core rhythms that will produce a more rich life if we lean into them hard enough and allow them to shape how we live in our neighborhood spaces.

1. Support local businesses–It can be less exciting, it can be slightly more expensive, but it’s a commitment that’s worth pursuing. Not only does it invest in your immediate community but you’re also going to get to know your local owners, movers and shakers, and fellow neighbors who also shop and eat locally.
2. Redeem where you live, work, and play–Overlap is word. The hope is to create as much overlap in life as possible so that you can stop trying to be involved and connected in fifteen different social circles in life and instead attempt to create social circles that overlap. How can the places you work, where you live, and where you spend your free time become more united?
3. Be out front— The days of having a large front porch are gone, they’re no longer a part of our construction mentality…and this is a major loss. If you have a front porch use it! Drink your coffee out there, read your books out there, do what you’ve got to do to be present in that important space where you’ll visually see your neighbors! What we’ve done in previous houses that did not have a front porch was we put our garden out front, this allowed us to have an ‘excuse’ to linger out there and meet neighbors.
4. Eat Together–Invite neighbors over for dinner. It’s hard to turn down a genuine invitation for food…so invite away! We’ve also started a weekly neighborhood meal. While this is a bit larger commitment to make, the point is that amazing and miraculous things happen over food (it’s called relationship!).
5. Bring Cookies— That classic act of bringing over cookies to the new neighbors is classic because it’s the right thing to do. We should be looking for any excuse necessary to be kind to those around us (new babies, new moves, etc.)
6. Be responsive (not responsible but responsive)– This piggybacks on the previous one, but responsiveness is priceless. You notice a single mom trying to bring in the kids and all the groceries…help. You notice someone working on their car…go help (or stand there and talk while they do it themselves). You find out that your neighbors sick offer to bring over a meal. Be responsive!
7. Be vulnerable (but not creepy)— It’s important to receive help from others. The goal is not to be a hero but to be a neighbor. Being a hero is to live a lie…because none of us can fly, have x-ray vision, or can shoot lasers out of our finger nails. Receiving is as important as being responsive and generous…and for many of us it might be an even harder thing to practice.
8. Walk as much as possible–As a general rule if you can walk instead of drive…do it. When you walk you’ll actually run into people, you’ll notice things you’d miss while driving, and it will help you to slow down your life in general. (not to mention its good for the body right?!)
9. Be aware of what’s going on–there are local events happening all the time. Use Facebook, coffee house window adds, and other locally type things to find out what kind of park days, festivals, picnics, concerts, grand openings, etc. are happening around you. Also be aware of what social services, non-profits, and the like are making a difference and investing in your neighborhood. Join and partner with them whenever and however you can!
10. Be available– This is the most difficult thing on this whole list. Availability necessitates slowing down your life in incredible ways. Relationship does not happen on a schedule very well, it happens spontaneously, it happens randomly, it happens when your available for life to happen around you. My tendency is go go go and to find my value in what I get done…but if I’m constantly going going going those around me will quickly learn that I’m unavailable ’cause I’m always gone gone gone. (quality writing right?)
11. Get a dog or a child— This is crucial. You’ve got to have one or the other ’cause they’re people magnets. Get on it!
12. Remember names— I think this is so important that its worth making an awkwardly (and potentially creepy) map of the neighborhood with people’s names on it. You learn a neighbors name run home, do not stop at ‘go’ or collect $200, and immediately write it down!
13. Dream and experiment— This is next level stuff, but its the kind of stuff that is going to bring longer term culture change to a community. Child care co-ops, vegetable sharing and swapping (from your gardens), shared backyards (eliminating back fences and creating green spaces), neighborhood tool libraries, street murals, phone trees…how beautiful would it or could it be if neighbors started dreaming together about what they could accomplish if they were crazy enough to experiment and try?
14. Practice gathering— Learning to gather people together is a valuable skill. We’ve experimented with storytelling nights where we invited people together to tell stories that have shaped our experiences in our community, we’ve had “dreaming nights” where we all shared our dreams for the future of our community, we’ve thrown parties, etc. Learning to gather people together is a valuable skill and something that often gets lots these days.
15. Neighborhood Associations— Just do it. Just join it, go to the meeting, vote, and all that other stuff that can be boring. It shows an important commitment and it’s a part of the fabric of how our neighborhoods function.