Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Feeling neighborly?

This is a version of me telling it like it is.  So if you don't want to hear how gloriously right I am, stop reading.

What would you do if came home to see your neighbor hanging their Christmas decorations on your garage?  Let's start with a little back story.

Back story:
I bought my house about 14 months ago.  I didn't really decorate much outside as I was still trying to get the inside squared away.  So color me shocked when my partner and I arrived home to see Christmas lights on the garage.  And no (in case you are leaning this way) not the entire garage.  The single eave that faces them.  I think that's what it's called.  Eave, right?  If not, that's what it is called now.  I decided not to let my partner say anything lest male testosterone get in the way and they start humping each other to show dominance.  I figured, they wouldn't do it again.

Present Day:
I pulled into my driveway today after picking my oldest daughter up from her after school program and saw my neighbor, again, decorated that single eave of my garage.  I decided right then I would say something.  So, I pulled together my shaking bits, got out of my car and had this lovely little exchange.  

Me:  "Hi, you know you are hanging your lights on my garage?"
Him:  "Yeah."
Me:  "You don't think that's a little weird to do without asking."
Him:  "If it's gonna be a problem, I'll just take them down."
Me:  "You don't think you should maybe ask first?"
Him:  "I'll just take them down."
Me:  "So you are not going to bother asking?"
Him: "I'll just take them down."

Am I the only one perturbed by this exchange?  I mean, this is not a shared garage.  All $900+ of my mortgage is paid for me to have sole use of this garage.  Having said that, do I care?  Not at all.  But why in this day and age would you not shout out a simple: "Hey Neighbor, is it cool if I use this part of your garage or were you planning on doing something with it?"  Not only did this strike me as my neighbor being entitled to do whatever the *&^% he wants to do so long as no one said anything, but the blatant disrespect he showed me during our little exchange was even picked up on by my 7 year old!  What the fuck people?!

I would like nothing more than to have a holly, jolly Pleasantville existence (minus the sex) with all of my neighbors, but it is this crap that makes me not want to interact with anyone.  So Merry Christmas and keep your fucking lights to yourself.

P.S. Have a happy New Year and follow me on Twitter @JackieMichele

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