Be a Regular
“Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.”
Practice Being a Regular
Be consistent. Same time. Same order.
Be attentive. Remember names. (Use a “Notes” app to help)
Be curious. Ask questions.
Be generous. Tip well.
Wisdom from baristas and bartenders
Being a regular is an ordinary, but intentional, practice to love your neighbors and neighborhood. It is arranging everyday activities with consistency. Being a regular provides a rhythm to build relationships.
Be a regular at neighborhood businesses. Begin your week at the same coffee shop. End your week at the same café. Have a “go-to” lunch location for work meetings. Support the same drycleaner, barber, or bakery. Create a rhythm of taking family and friends to a local restaurant anytime they visit.
Be a regular at neighborhood parks. Walk your dog the same time each morning. Go for a bike ride or run the same time each weekend. Have a regular time you meet friends at a park or playground. Schedule a regular time to take a walk with neighbors for a conversation. Create a rhythm of being present in the places people gather in your neighborhood.
Being a regular is not a practice to add more activity to your life. It is a practice of arranging your life with intentionality. It is having an imagination of how everyday activities are an opportunity to know your neighbors and neighborhood. It is practicing a pattern of presence.
