So, this morning, I wake up and I’m in my bathroom all the way at the back of my house. I hear this huge sound that seems like it’s coming from my backyard. I go to my front door, open it, and there are two what look like “monster trucks” parked in front of my neighbor’s house across from the Airbnb. The 20/30-something kids that own these vehicles suddenly turn on the stereo in one of the trucks. LOUD. Of course, because – that is the order of the world these days. I hold open my screen door and stand on my porch, glaring in their direction, hoping that they’ll notice me. Nothing. One of the kids is spraying something on his truck around the front and the sides. The other truck owner is standing behind the first truck, asking his friend if his “speakers are new”. I can see the girlfriend of one of them walking on the sidewalk back and forth between the two trucks. Isn’t it bad enough that the sound of your truck turning on sounded like a jet engine in my backyard? What are you driving, a 747? I finally can’t take it anymore, so I step down from my porch, stand right in front of my house, and yell in their direction, “Excuse me!” They don’t hear me, of course, over the loudness of the music. I start slowly stepping in their direction, again yelling “Excuse me!” They still don’t hear me and are totally oblivious. Kid #1 is still aimlessly spraying around his car. One last time: “EXCUSE ME!” Finally, Kid #2 sees me and motions to his friend. Kid #1 turns around and I say, “What the hell are you doing?” Now I will preface the remainder of this with, yes – I probably could have handled it differently. Kid #1 starts trying to explain what exactly it is he is doing. Staying at Airbnb across the street, as I expected. “Leaving tomorrow.” I thought, “Oh, and so, while you’re here, you think you can just do whatever the hell you want?” I was not a happy camper already, as I haven’t been for awhile, for a multitude of reasons. Hence my tone of voice was elevated. I tell Kid #1 “You need to have some respect for the people that live on this street.” He comes back at me with a remark of how I need to respect him. That’s when I lost it. “I belong here – you don’t” I tell him. I point to the house they are parked in front of and the one next to it, telling them, “There’s an elderly lady who lives here, and there’s an elderly lady who lives over there.” He continues to argue with me, telling me how I’m wrong. “You could have asked me nicely and I would have turned it down.” Yeah. I could have done that. You’re right – I could have. But you know why I didn’t? Because I shouldn’t have to tell you to turn it down. You should use the little brain in your head that God gave you and have some respect for the fact that you are in a residential neighborhood on a Saturday morning and have a little respect for the people around you WHO LIVE HERE!! All this time, girlfriend of Kid #1 is standing nearby with her hands on her hips, staring at me. Yes, honey – can I help you?? Kid #1 keeps talking about how I could have asked nicely and the lack of respect that I’m giving him. “Respect is earned – you don’t automatically get it” I tell him. “There are people who work around here that may be trying to sleep on a Saturday morning.” Girlfriend says, “I work too.” Really, honey?? Oh, good for you, baby!! I’m thinking – do you want a trophy or a sticker?? I offer up that I have stayed at many an Airbnb and have always respected the neighborhood I was in. You want to blast your new speakers and paint your trim while listening to your music blasting loud with the car doors open? Go stay at a hotel on Bourbon Street. I finally go back in my house, and I can hear him still ranting to his friend about his “lack of respect” from me. I step out one more time and yell, “Keep it up, and I’ll call the cops next.” A little overboard? Yeah. Probably. Girlfriend of Kid #1 is now standing at the door to the Airbnb and is yelling to me from across the street, “God bless” and “Have a nice day.” Yeah – you too, hon. You know, yesterday I read that I should strive to be a thermostat and not a thermometer. I can explain more about that in another post. Suffice it to say that this morning I was definitely NOT a thermostat. I could have handled it differently and better. And I’m not making excuses for myself, but I have had 8 months of anxiety and uncertainty, like many people have, and it’s coming to a head. They finally get into their trucks and I watch them drive off. Maybe I scared them off, I’m thinking. Maybe they left to go stay somewhere else. We’re on good terms with the owner of the Airbnb. I’ll bring up to him what happened when I see him. He may approach me first if he gets feedback from these guests. If they wind up coming back and I see them, maybe I will try to apologize. If they chose to leave on their own accord, that’s on them. Although I would have been the reason, I’m sure.
I expect too much from people. My problem is that I want everyone to do what they’re SUPPOSED to do. Should I just accept that not everyone is going to always do the right thing and that certain situations will not go on forever? Yes, because that’s reality. But somewhere in my gut, I just cannot accept it. Just do what you’re supposed to do!! THINK!!
By the same token, I don’t expect very much from myself. It’s that thermometer/thermostat analogy again. I know what I have to do. I’m just not even trying. And I always let my emotions have control over me and get the better of me. God expects me to try harder. Yet, no matter how many times I fail, He still loves me. Poor, puny human that I am.
Oddly Enough 