Call it neighborism
Seven or eight links for times such as these
If the Minnesota resistance has an overarching ideology, you could call it “neighborism”—a commitment to protecting the people around you, no matter who they are or where they came from. - Adam Serwer for The Atlantic
I’ve got posts in the hopper about 15-minute cities and a Jane Jacobs book club, but all I can think about is how 2026 will be the year of the neighbor. This is the year we prove that loving each other and taking responsibility for one another is a winning strategy. At least, I hope so.
To that end, here are some snippets I’ve found recently:
Margaret Killjoy’s reflection on the importance of showing up and how “the core of the resistance is just neighborliness.”
When everyone understands that we are, all of us, neighbors.
Considering local action as worthy and deserving of attention; as holy.
Resolutionize Your Community Involvement and also 7 Ideas to Jumpstart Community Practice by Elise Granata.
I use the word "holy" because it feels that way whenever we devote space, time, and attention to something.
Reading the always-inspiring Rebecca Solnit: When Love Thy Neighbor is a Cry of Resistance.
At the very heart of the conflict raging in the United States is a conflict about human nature, a deep moral and philosophical conflict. I believe the isolationists will lose in the long run because they are not only out of step with the majority but they are out of step with reality and because theirs is an impoverished version of who we can be, walking away from the possibilities of love and joy and the sense of abundance and connection from which generosity springs.
Garrett Bucks on “Seven reasons why hosting a silly little potluck (or game night, or porch hang, or book club, or group hike) is essential to defeating fascism”
With encouragement for introverts because we’re actually the best hosts.
I understand that all this sounds exhausting, my friends. And believe it or not, I too dread new social gatherings. Do you know what I earnestly love? A quiet evening in my own house. Having run community building trainings for years, I wish I had a magic word that could melt away social anxiety, or make small talk less annoying, or disappear the exhaustion of a fuller social calendar. I don’t. It does take a lot out of us, especially in those shaking early days of showing up for the first time.
50 Simple Ways to Make a Difference in Your Community from Sophia Fifner.
You don't have to transform into a different person to create change. You can start exactly where you are, in your neighborhood, with what you have, in ways that feel authentic to who you already are.
Making valentines
Thinking about making a bunch of valentines this weekend for neighbors near and far, inspired by Rose Pearlman’s Batch Valentines.
I had the chance to hear from Jennifer B. Wallace, author of the new book Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose, during a Neighboring 101 call —I’ve just requested my copy from the library.
Elsewhere
A tree from East Greenbush becomes the 2025 Rockefeller Christmas Tree. A girl from East Greenbush gets to light it on the final day before it gets milled into lumber and sent back up to New York’s Capital District to be used in Habitat for Humanity homes!
Last month, I was lucky enough to be a part of a magical Habitat tradition. Learn more about the Rockefeller Tree x Habitat for Humanity partnership here.
The world's just out here proving the thesis of your newsletter!!