Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Eat First

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?  A series exploring what it means to create community in Deer Park, or wherever you are.

You’ve initiated an invitation, it’s been accepted, and now your neighbors are about to arrive. That’s when you realize you have no idea what to do once they ring your doorbell. Panic sets in, your heart races, and then DING-DONG. They’re here.

I have a simple way to break the ice and get your evening off to a great start. It takes care of the “what do we talk about?” conundrum and helps everyone to relax in your home. It will help each person settle down and feel connected to each other. Here it is: eat first.

Of course, it’s not actually the first thing you do: you’re going to open the door, welcome them in, take their coats, tell them to take off their shoes or leave them on, and walk them to your main room. And then you’ll spend 3-5 minutes on pleasantries or introducing the kids to each other before pulling your simple meal out of the oven and inviting them to the table.

“I want to be sitting down to eat within ten minutes of my guest’s arrival.”

Here’s Why

As you serve the food, you’ll have the logistics of dinner to talk about, and you’ll have an activity for everyone to engage in together. Both are key. By discussing the food it’s easy to move into food-related topics, and by doing something together you’re already building the bonds that were the reason you invited them over at all.

Three Thoughts On The “Eat First” Motto

First, simple food prep makes this easier. Have something in the crockpot or just grab a pizza from KC’s Take & Bake plus a bag salad from Yoke’s so you’re never stressing about the food.

Second, if you invited someone over at meal time and then delayed the meal, you’re actually adding to their level of discomfort as they are probably getting hungry.

Third, this motto mainly applies to new friends. If you’re comfortable with whoever is coming over, then waiting to actually do the food prep together will often increase the sense of community and could be a big win.

Strangers To Neighbors

Now you know what it took me many awkward entrances to understand. You want to welcome them to your home, maybe even give a short tour ending in the living room for 3-4 minutes of relaxation, and then you want to be serving dinner about ten minutes from the doorbell. It’s easy to go from strangers to neighbors when we eat first.

Join the conversation by sharing your neighboring stories or asking your hospitality questions at facebook.com/DeerParkGazette with #neighboring. Won’t you be my neighbor?

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Related Articles

Celebrate Your Community At The Annual Art Show

The SCLD Community Art Show is back, inviting artists of all ages to showcase their creativity and love for their community. Free miniature canvases will be available at Spokane County Libraries throughout February. This year’s theme, Celebrate Your Community, encourages participants to highlight what makes their hometown special.

Read More »

GreenHouse Food & Clothing Bank Change Of Hours

The GreenHouse Food and Clothing is once again adjusting its hours, this time reducing service availability and shifting to an earlier schedule. However, food bank representatives encourage those with scheduling conflicts to reach out for potential accommodations.

Read More »

Slideshow: WinterFest 2025

Deer Park’s WinterFest 2025 brought the community together with fun traditions like outhouse races, a bustling craft fair, and live music. Check out our online gallery.

Read More »

Deadline Nears For Deer Park Post Office Relocation Input

After over half a century at its current location, the United States Postal Service is proposing two potential options for the Deer Park Post Office to address the growing community’s needs. In accordance with federal law, the Postal Service is inviting public input on the proposal before finalizing its decision. However, the opportunity for citizens to share their feedback is quickly coming to an end.

Read More »

WinterFest Honored Citizens 2025: The Watsons

Doug and Karen Watson, known for their decades of dedication to the Deer Park community through volunteerism and leadership, have been named the 2025 WinterFest Honored Citizens. This recognition acknowledges their significant contributions to preserving and enriching local traditions.

Read More »

WinterFest 2025: A Little Over A Week Away

Deer Park’s WinterFest 2025 is fast approaching, with just over a week to go! The reveal of the official logo and the announcement of this year’s honored citizens have set the tone for an exciting event. Don’t forget that sign-ups are now open!

Read More »

Share this!

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Share this!

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Read more news.

102 Things To Do During Deer Park Settlers Weekend

Less than a week away from Deer Park Settlers weekend, and it seems like there are 102 activities for the 102nd occurrence. There will be something for everyone, including fun runs, dunk tanks, basketball tournaments, a car show, and much more. Mix Park, Swinyard Park, and other places will be bustling with activity.

Read More »

Subscribe to our emails

Use the form below to sign up to receive news via email at no cost to you.

Read & Support The

Local news to keep you informed and entertained. The Deer Park Gazette is locally owned and operated. When you support the Deer Park Gazette, you support local writers and photographers.