Neighboring isn’t just a suburban experiment or a nostalgic idea tied to front porches and cul-de-sacs. It’s just as relevant—and just as powerful—in rural spaces. Wide-open land doesn’t automatically create strong relationships. In fact, sometimes distance, independence, and long-standing routines can make connection even less likely. And contrary to popular belief, this isn’t a “younger generation problem.” It’s easy to assume that technology or shifting cultural norms have made younger people less neighborly. But in reality, the hesitation to engage with those living nearby spans generations. Avoidance, assumptions, and quiet judgment are not new habits—they just show up in different ways. I was reminded of this at a recent community cookout. I found myself seated with a group of people I didn’t know. Before long, the conversation turned toward a nearby landowner who had begun lining his fence with old tires. The tone quickly shifted from curiosity to criticism.  So...

  The image of “small-town” America has been romanticized over the years. But still, for many who grow up in a small town, the feeling it provides is worth protecting. I know a few things about growing up in a small town. For 26 years, I called Ash Grove, Missouri, home. Growing up in Ash Grove from the mid-1960s through the 1980s was like living in Mayberry, the fictional town of Andy Griffith, on television. (More on this later). Some residents living in cities around the perimeter of Springfield have been sharing on social media about their desire to retain the "small town feel" of their town. Critics will complain that changes are causing the community to lose its “small-town feel.” Sometimes that phrase is used because the town population has grown. Sometimes it is because of increased crime, new faces in the stores, or even tax proposals. Relators often talk about the small-town feel of a town where they are selling homes. Many communities brag about having a sm...