Photo by Jym Wilson in the Springfield Daily Citizen Every so often a neighborhood dispute becomes so odd that it captures public attention. Recently, that happened in Springfield when a resident placed multiple toilet seats in his front yard —reportedly as a form of protest and self-described “artistic expression.” It made for a quirky headline and plenty of chuckles. But beneath the humor is a more important question: Is this what engaged neighboring looks like? I would argue no. Engaged neighboring is about building relationships, not winning arguments. It’s about connection, not provocation. And while toilet seats in the front yard may feel clever to the person installing them, they function less as conversation starters and more as conflict accelerators. There’s an important distinction between being an engaged neighbor and an aggravating neighbor . An engaged neighbor seeks to understand others, even when there’s disagreement. They look for ways to lower the temperature, n...