10/06/2026
Sometimes neighboring means being willing to get it wrong. 😂
While planning a neighborhood gathering, Rochelle thought she was texting her neighbor, Susan.
“Can I come over and talk about the gathering?”
Sure, Susan told her. She’d sit on the porch and wait.
So Rochelle walked over, only to find no one sitting on the porch. She knocked anyway. Her neighbor answered, invited her inside, and before long they were sitting around the kitchen table planning the whole neighborhood gathering together.
Success!
Except… as Rochelle walked home, she got a text:
“Where are you? I’ve been sitting out here for 45 minutes.”
Rochelle was confused.
“I just left your house.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Wait…is this Susan?”
“No, this is Matthew.” 😂
Rochelle had switched the last two digits of Susan’s phone number. She’d been texting a complete stranger while accidentally planning the gathering with a different neighbor.
Matthew wished her luck with the gathering. Rochelle, naturally, told him he should throw one in his neighborhood, too.
And when gathering day came, Rochelle told the whole story as an icebreaker.
Because connecting with our neighbors can feel awkward. We might knock on the wrong door, say the wrong thing or apparently text the wrong person entirely.
We can do it anyway.
You don't have to be an expert at neighboring to start.
