An orange extension cord stretched across my lawn like a neon path, running straight from my neighbor’s garage into my outlet on the back wall of the house. I paused, unsure what to think. Maybe it was a temporary thing, I reasoned. Maybe they’d plugged it in and forgotten. But as I traced it more closely, it became clear the connection had been made intentionally—without even asking me. For a moment, I felt puzzled rather than annoyed—we’d always gotten along well.

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