Bryclyn Alcorn

Professor Davis

Composition II

7 September 2023

Being a Good Neighbor

“Being a good neighbor, it starts with me.” This is one of the quotes that Tim Detellis

uses that really interests me. Detellis has five pillars of being a good neighbor; Connection,

Invitation, Celebration, Awareness, and Availability. I agree with these pillars but also have my

own twist on them. My pillars to being a good neighbor include invitation, appreciation,

familiarization, celebration, and transcendence. I do not think that being a good neighbor can be

a one sided thing, I need to follow my pillars and understand that my neighbors have some kind

of system as well that helps them in being neighborly to me.

My first pillar is going to be an invitation. The more inviting the community is, the more

it draws people to it. I want my neighbors to make me feel welcome, invite me to their functions,

and invite me to get to know them or their family. If I am going to live next to someone for

years, I want to be able to invite them to all of mine as well. A good community is built by

neighbors making an effort to better the environment and you can not do that if no one is being

invited to help one another.

Transcendence is the act of going above and beyond expectations. Once the initial

relationship is being built with your neighbor, go the extra mile now and again. There are plenty

of ways to help your neighbors out without it being too much of a hassle. I do not expect

anything from my neighbors other than to take care of what they have and what we share. If

someone isn’t expecting you to go the extra mile and you do, it is going to make a difference in

their day whether they show it or not. If I make a bunch of leftover cookies, I am going to take
Bryclyn Alcorn

Professor Davis

Composition II

7 September 2023

Being a Good Neighbor

them to my neighbor. The cookies are going to waste if not, my neighbor is not expecting them,

and most of the time it is going to make them feel invited and appreciated.

Appreciation is going to be my next pillar. If you are going the mile and so is your

neighbor, it is important that the both of you appreciate those acts. You should never expect

someone to do something extra but it is always nice to have. If you start to become ungrateful

and unappreciative, your last pillar is not going to fall into action anymore. My neighbors have

always appreciated our help whether it be when house sitting for them, taking their kids to

school, or simply cooking them a meal here in there. Their appreciation is my drive to transcend

and continue to do nice things for them. I am an appreciative neighbor and love when my

neighbors are as well. It can really draw a neighborhood together.

I wholeheartedly believe that you should get to know your neighbors in some shape or

form. Detellis mentions in his speech that his neighbor thought to call him (Detellis) before they

called 911 in a time of crisis. This is because your neighbors have easier access to you or your

house and can really hold down the fort before emergency services can get there. You should be

able to trust your neighbors to let you know when something is going on that you should check

out. It is important that you know your neighbors name or phone number so you can reach out to

them for the same things. Your neighbors can be extremely helpful, friendly, and eventually

become a part of the family if you let them.

When moving into a community, you are oftentimes going to live there for a while. If you

are invited, appreciated, shown the extra mile, and familiar with your neighbors; you are going to
Bryclyn Alcorn

Professor Davis

Composition II

7 September 2023

Being a Good Neighbor

go through phases of life together. You may be living life and all of a sudden it is years down the

road and the little neighbor child is graduating elementary school. The elderly woman next door

may have gotten a new puppy. These are things to celebrate and what better way to do it with the

people you are passing by every day. Your neighbors care even if it is from afar. You should

always celebrate the little things in life, the everyday things, and especially the big things.

Celebration is so important in making people feel like they are a part of something and that can

truly help build a strong foundation for a good community.

I have had the same neighbors for 16 years. They have taken me to school, watched me

get my first pet, came over for dinner, invited us over for cookouts, seen me get my license, seen

me graduate, and they just recently saw me move out to come to college. My neighbors have

been the biggest help to my parents but have also shaped me as an individual. What started as my

dad saying hello as they took out the trash at the same time, turned into lifelong friendships that

are always going to be there in a new time, a time of need, and a time to celebrate. I have decided

on my pillars based on how my neighbors have treated us over time, and how we have repaid

them with the same efforts.

DeTellis, Tim. "Are You a Good Neighbor?" TEDxEustis, 21 February 2020.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jfXtDgku1A

Tim Detellis shares his life experiences that have inspired him to be a good neighbor. He

shares with his audience what he feels that a good neighbor does and what he does in order to be
Bryclyn Alcorn

Professor Davis

Composition II

7 September 2023

Being a Good Neighbor

that good neighbor for others. This includes his five pillars to being a good neighbor;

Connection, invitation, celebration, awareness, and availability. Tim Detellis is the president of a

non profit organization, New Missions. Tim has a degree in business from Houghton College.

Tim advocates for National Good Neighbor Day. Tim also enjoys riding his bike and playing the

piano. This particular TedX talk has been out since February 21, 2020. TED is funded by

conference fees, licensing, and sponsorship. The LLC has received 5 million dollars from the

‘Melinda and Bill Gates Association.’The publication is somewhat biased. When using your own

opinion like Tim does, it is impossible to be incompletely biased. You are going to think that

your opinion is the correct one which is where the bias comes in. This source is reliable due to

the amount of knowledge it provides. The TEDx talk gives real life experiences that give you the

reasoning behind Tim’s five pillars.