Hey There Neighbor!

HI: Pronunciation: \ˈhī(-ē)\
Function: interjection
Etymology: Middle English hy
Date: 15th century
—used especially as a greeting

NEIGHBOR: Pronunciation: \ˈnā-bər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English nēahgebūr (akin to Old High German nāhgibūr); akin to Old English nēah near and Old English gebūr dweller — more at NIGH, BOOR
Date: before 12th century
1 : one living or located near another
2 : fellow man

(Via: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

December is Hi Neighbor Month!

In your crazy rush to beat rush hour traffic, did you remember to greet your neighbor this morning? I don’t know about you but Hi Neighbor Month makes me think of a familiar song, “Won't You Be My Neighbor?” **Sigh** I miss the slow and monotonous yet super-friendly voice of Mister Rogers in the morning during his PBS Kids television show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood!

Perhaps we should take some sound advice from the guru of salutations himself, the late Mr. Rogers, on how to fully celebrate Hi Neighbor Month. Although it would appear overwhelmingly abnormal to run around with the same puppet cronies that Mr. Rogers hung out with, giving a friendly good morning or a cordial afternoon greeting to your neighbor is a sociable gesture.

Stumped on how to celebrate Hi Neighbor Month? How about we start out easy by saying hi! If saying hi is too difficult for some reason perhaps you can send customized greeting cards to your neighbors just to say hello. Or for your loved one, personalize a photo frame with a photograph of when you first said hello to your partner! Be more outgoing and promote Hi Neighbor Month not only at home but at the workplace or on the street. Believe me, if you wave or give a genuinely friendly smile at someone, you will get either a wave/smile or a concerned facial expression back. Either way, you will get a reaction!